The Madness of Laevateinn
by Nicolas Crossworth
Summary: Early in the year 2000, in the quiet rural areas under the flag of the Crown, the Scarlet Mansion was enjoying its peaceful seclusion from the rest of the world... Until a long gone visitor decided to drop by, thus setting of the trigger for a futile quest for a cure. OC alert, rated T.
1. Chapter 1: The one who was forgotten 1,1

_Nicolas Note:_

_Hello ladies and gentlemen, the name is_ _Nicolas, and I am your host for this evening.  
This is my first ever attempt on writing a fanfiction and I admit, it was hard.  
However, I did enjoy writing this story as it began to expand into a wider range in my story cluttered brain.  
Hehe, well anyway I made this fanfiction after spending one month reading other stories on this site.  
This story was **highly** inspired by I-negative bullet by SorrowfulReincarnation, Average Joe in Bullet Hell by Magnificent Sasquatch, From Gensokyo with Danmaku by that Succesful Businessman, and Imperfect Metamorphosis by TakerFoxx, if you haven't read these then F-*shot*  
_**  
Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou or any other Touhou related materials, yes the OC is mine.**

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**} {Normal} {**_Hard_**} {**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: The one who was forgotten.**

**Year 2000**

**Date unknown.**

**Wales.**

* * *

In a rural village located in the English countryside, the villagers were standing rooted on the spot, as they watched lights erupt behind the dark hills of the west.

They all wondered the same thing, with their mouths open.

It was nighttime, so how would there be flashes of scarlet light behind the hills?

A mysterious sight to be seen, it was.

* * *

It started early in the evening, when a young man in a brown travelling cloak, entered the local pub, asking the whereabouts of a mansion with red bricks.

The barkeep was suspicious at first, to see a boy in his mid teens enter his pub, with his hood down, as if he did not want to be recognized. Then the barkeep paled and dropped the glass he was about to clean, which shattered into a hundred pieces. The men in the bar turned to look on what happened and fell silent.

The young man asked again and the barkeep turned possibly even paler. Those in the pub shifted in their seats, some of them winced at the mansion's mention. Most of the villagers knew what the boy was asking about, the accursed mansion in which the devil lived. The red bricked chateau that lay behind the hills of the west.

The mansion already stood in the location long before the village was established. Many thought that the mansion was abandoned, so a few people went to investigate. Only one man made it back, nearly driven to madness, he wept, laughed, and screamed of demons and monsters in the mansion. The only thing they got out of him was: the rest were killed. Alarmed, the village sent armed men and mercenaries to the supposedly abandoned mansion. This time, none of them came back. Ever since then no one approached those hills and children were forbidden to go there.

Even now in the modern era, people still fear the place.

Even as the barkeep told the young man the horrible story, the boy hardly flinched. Some of his customers actually left as the story was told.

"So I just go west, over the hills?" asked the young man in a monotone voice.

"It's suicide boy! Do you want to die?" cried the barkeep, while pounding his fist on the counter.

The barkeep tried to discourage the young man in going, but the boy only turned to leave and left a few silver coins on the counter. The young man bid the pub goodnight, while thanking the barkeep for the information, and then he was off. The barkeep buried his face in his hands."That boy is mad".

"A lost cause, that one was." muttered a farmer.

The barkeep sighed.

Back in the present, at the wide courtyard of the red mansion, a lone figure stood. It was the young man from the pub, his gray eyes roving on the night sky, apparently on the watch, for someone or something. His senses told him that something fast was about to pass overhead. Suddenly, a scarlet flash of light tore through the starry night and left a row of red globes, which homed towards the young man, who ran just in time for the globes to explode behind him. He dove to his side, as a globe nearly hit him, and came back standing.

He countered by aiming his palm at the scarlet flash and released a white lightning bolt. He thrust out his palms alternately sending more lightning bolts at the flash. The scarlet flash produced a sonic boom and was gone, probably coming back for another round of barrages.

The boy thought that he was going to get some breathing space, until his head began to buzz. He ducked, as he dodged a horizontal slash from a silver knife. The young man turned and quickly grasped the wrist of the offender. He looked straight into the azure eyes of a girl a head shorter than he was.

The girl growled and disappeared.

"There she goes again" muttered the young man "she's at her limit…..Both of them are…"

This time the girl appeared near the mansion door, throwing her knives at a rapid speed.

"For the love of…..Stay still!" growled the Human, he charged at the girl. For the first time during the entire battle, he managed to get a clear view of one of his opponents. The knife wielding girl was much younger than his current appearance, her age ranging possibly from twelve to fourteen, it was hard to determine with the knives soaring.

She wore a dark green French maid uniform, with the white apron on her front. Her hair was short and was braided into two at the back of her head. When the moon shone upon her hair, it was as silver as her knives. The young man was about to grab her, as he side stepped a flying knife, but she disappeared again.

She appeared about ten meters from his back. She held three knives between her fingers in each hand, which made up six. She must have been exhausted, because she was panting madly. The scarlet flash passed again in an amazing speed, leaving more globes behind. The young man was forced to dodge, but this time he didn't anticipate that the maid girl will use the moment of distraction to throw her knives.

"Crap!" growled the boy as he made a wild dive to avoid the globes and knives.

His hood fell off revealing dirty blonde hair with streaks of gray. His hair was a bit shaggy and unkempt; the gray streaks must've been the result of many sleepless nights. He struggled to get up, but when he looked above, he saw that the maid girl had a knife over her head, ready to drive it downwards.

The young man had split second decision on whether to evade or surrender. He decided to rugby tackle the maid by her waste and slamming her on a tree. The recoil was pain, since he fell with the gravel on his back. He got up quickly and went to the girl who was still dazed from the impact.

He wrenched her knife away from her, turning it to sand at his touch, and reached in the maid's pocket fishing out a silver pocket watch.

"So this is how you do it…..You sure have a lot of spare time, missy…"said the young man to the maid who was still in her dazed state, before tossed it into the distance.

He then took out a rope and tied her wrists to a nearby tree's root. He was about to catch his breath when something exploded behind him.

**BOOM!**

He found himself looking at the being that caused the explosion. He stared at a little girl that was enveloped in a fierce scarlet energy. She emitted an aura of power and hate for the boy in front of her, which can make the most courageous warriors drop dead in fear. No one has ever dared to cross her up to this extent, except now. She stared daggers back at him looking absolutely furious.

She might have been adorable in her frilly white dress, wavy light blue hair and pink mob cap, if it were not only for her beastly claws, long canines, crimson aura, cherry red eyes, and gigantic spear that can lay waste to an entire military base. There were stains on her dress which looked suspiciously like blood.

And her spear tip was actually as big as a single wooden door.

Seeing her enraged expression, the young man stepped back a few paces eyeing the crimson spear warily.

The new girl pointed a claw at the boy and shouted." How dare you…How dare you hurt Sakuya! How _dare _you harm my precious maid! **How dare you enter my home and disturb our peace! For the crimes you have committed…I the Scarlet Devil, Remilia Scarlet, shall claim your head!"**

With that, she raised her spear and began storing vast amounts of magic into it. She threw her first spear and the young man attempted to dodge, however her spear never missed its mark.

The spear managed to graze the boy's shoulder, which caused him to grunt in pain and bleed lightly. Clutching upon the scratch, he turned his attention back to his opponent, he'll just have to heal it later. _She's blinded by her rage_…, he thought, _that'll make things easier_.

The Human began to sprint towards Remilia as she threw her second spear which whistled past his left ear as he narrowly dodged it for the first time.

The maddened girl did the only logical thing possible: she prepared to meet him head on.

Determined to end the battle, Remilia angrily spread her devilish wings and plunged straight ahead in rage towards the intruder, raising her thirdly spear, ready to tear him apart.

"**Die you disgusting hunter!"** she screamed, while tearing through the air.

She thrust her spear with her left arm, but was taken by surprise, when the young man side stepped to his right. In her anger she did not realize that she made an attack that could be easily dodged if timed just right. She was so shocked that she did not know how to react, one of her most powerful attacks evaded so easily.

Although she did manage to leave a large cut on his shoulder, it did not stop him from countering her attack. A chill went down her spine as her opponent drew a wooden stake from his cloak, ducked and enter her guard. She managed to see the sad gray eyes of the intruder, before not one but two wooden stakes drove into her chest. Her eyes grew wide when she realized what happened; she did not even have time to turn into a swarm of bats to escape. The spear in her hand flickered and disappeared.

Remilia Scarlet fell on the ground with a soft thump.

Everything happened within the span of four seconds. The young man looked down on Remilia as she laid on ground, staring at him in shock, as a human as low as him defeat the Scarlet Devil herself.

The young man gazed at her with an amused expression.

"Don't worry Remi, it'll only leave you paralyzed, but it won't kill you." chuckled the young man, kneeling down at the vampire's side and poking her cheek, "seriously, you've gotten soft haven't you? You're losing your touch, unlike in the past. That wrathful nature of yours has always been one of your flaws"

Remilia shot him with a look of loathing.

Even in her current state, she managed to speak three words." Who….are….you?"

The smile was wiped off his face and his expression turned slightly sad.

"So you still don't remember, huh?" sighed the Human "you probably won't forgive me if you did, but don't worry I'll make you remember, only not now. Sadly it is not you who I came for."

"Mistress!"

The young man turned to see the young maid named Sakuya fully awake with a look of horror on her face.

"What have you done to her!?" she shouted, struggling against her bonds.

The boy bit his tongue. _Dammit maid!_ , he thought, _you're making me look like the bad guy! _The young man left Remilia and went to approach the terrified maid. _Don't you dare look at me with those eyes,_ he thought nervously.

Yet he tried his best to be nice, he stood beside the bound maid and spoke, "Uh, hi there. Sorry about what happened earlier."

Sakuya only stared at him warily.

"You must be the head maid here, right? Since you're the only one different from those fairies I encountered" said the boy with a warm smile.

Sakuya blinked, and then slowly nodded.

"So you know everyone in this mansion, right?"

Sakuya nodded again.

"Okay, I've got a few questions to ask you, since Remi is in a sour mood, you will have to answer them"

Sakuya hesitated and took a glance at her paralyzed mistress, then nodded slowly.

"Have you seen little girl here, aside from her," he jabs a thumb at the inanimate Remilia, "wearing a red vest and skirt, with a pink shirt underneath. She has a pink mob cap like Remilia's, with a red ribbon on top, and also has blonde hair almost like mine."

"Lady Flandre?" Sakuya blurted out, and then she paled as she realized what she has done.

At the distance and in her paralyzed state, Remilia hissed three words again "Sakuya…..You…Idiot…"

The young man grinned and placed his hand on the wound Sakuya had at the back of her head from the crash. Suddenly, she didn't feel the pain anymore, the boy had healed her.

He stood up and turned to the fallen vampire's direction." Let me take a guess on where you hid her this time. Last time you hid her in the attic, which was originally her room, but seeing now that the place has gone a little quiet, you finally locked her up in the basement, when you promised you wouldn't, didn't you?"

Remilia sweat dropped.

The young man sighed, "she's gotten worse then, eh. You sisters are so messed up as always."

"You will never find her," squeaked the young maid, "an intruder like you, will never navigate the corridors properly. You will get lost."

The young man turned to her with a smile, but this one was filled with a hint of cruel amusement.

"Sorry missy, but you're actually speaking to the man who built this mansion"

Sakuya's eyes grew wide, "wh-wh-what?"

"To make it simple I know this mansion like the back of my hand, so it's no use for me getting myself lost, but thank you for your concern. I bet I know more secrets of this mansion than you do. How else would have entered undetected for a short while?"

Sakuya stared at him dumbfounded as he entered the mansion unopposed.

* * *

When the Human had entered the seemingly deserted mansion, it did not take long for him to find the path leading to the basement. To get to his destination he would first pass by the library, a place that cannot be avoided through secret passages and in which a person he did not want to meet lived.

He decided to use a passage which led directly at the front door of the Voile, where he found himself a few moments later.

"She won't bother me if I'm quiet" muttered the young man to himself.

He turned to his left and proceeded that way.

As he went deeper and deeper into the passage, the walls began to turn more ancient. It no longer had the scarlet painted walls and antique lamps been seen for quite awhile now, but replaced by cold blocks of stone and wooden torches that seem to blaze forever.

The young man couldn't help himself from feeling a bit nostalgic.

Back when he built this passage, oblivious from the real reason he was actually building it for. It took him a good thirty days to finish the passage to the dungeon, or what Remilia would call 'basement'. After the next five minutes of walking, he hit a dead end.

To his right was a black iron door, which had the family crest of the Scarlets (a vampire bat on top of the Earth, which had a cross like shape at its back, with two spears forming an X, impaling the globe and a sword at the middle). He walked towards the door and pulled it open. He had to step back a couple of paces as the door released a musty, and otherwise damp smell.

Behind the door revealed a winding staircase, leading the way down while at the side of the entrance a torch was lit.

Someone else has been here.

The young man descended down the dungeon. It was just as he remembered it, the cold draft from below, the dampness of the walls, and sadness that filled the air.

There were two prisons in the mansion. One was located inside the clock tower, and the second was down here at the dungeon, both were made for one person.

The dungeon made modern maximum secured prison cells look like a plastic play house. Located seventy feet below ground, made of thousands of granite blocks, enforced with the one of the most complex spells known to magicians and secured by doors made of cursed iron that can induce madness.

Back in the past, when he built the dungeon, he asked his employer on what abomination will be imprisoned here. His employer merely chuckled and said that it was a necessary 'precaution' in case of an emergency. Even without the spells, the dungeon had its own security system to keep intruders out.

Mostly it was made to prevent the escape of the one placed there. The darkness, the wild imagination of the intruder and its hallucinations were more than enough to scare it away the basement. Knowing this information, the young man need not worry for his safety, but only for the thing that awaits him at the lowest level.

He remembered that Remilia liked to call the clock tower and the dungeon 'basement and attic', so that it will seem like innocent words, but actually hiding a dark meaning.

The descent took twenty minutes, before the boy came to a halt in front of a single iron door bearing the Scarlet's family crest once more. "The lowest level of the mansion," he whispered," they didn't even bother cleaning the place up or placing more torches on the walls. If someone missed a step, they would've tumbled down to their deaths."

The young man was actually complaining about the lack of light inside a _vampire's_ domain.

He held his breath, and then pushed the iron door open.

He was now in what looked like a large stone room the size of a school gymnasium. The atmosphere was the same as that of the staircase from before, dark, damp, cold, and sad. The only things that provided light were four pillars of fire that were at the four corners of the vast room, burning like they have been doused in gasoline.

At the other side of the room was a large iron double door, with seal tags and runes either drawn or pasted on it. It was guarded by a tall girl in a decorated green Chinese dress with a white blouse underneath. The young man calmly walked towards the door, and then the girl raised her right palm, with her left hand on her hip, her face had a determined look on it.

"Halt! You cannot pass!" her voice boomed and echoed in the hollow room.

The boy came close enough to see her clearly. The guard had teal colored eyes and she wore an olive green beret, with a star pinned on it, bearing a Chinese character. She had long scarlet hair with two braids at the sides, tied with black ribbons. Her face turned hard and stern, as the boy came closer. Apparently seeing the intruder here meant that her mistress and Sakuya had lost their battles.

At the back of her mind, she wondered if this person was really strong to beat her mistress or did he just sneak his way around the mansion again. She went with the first thought, as the mansion above was silent.

The boy said with calm words, "Move aside. I have important business with person behind that door".

"Like I said, you cannot pass! Go back to where ever you came from and leave this mansion in peace!" commanded the guard.

The young man sighed "I don't want to hurt you, so please step aside"

The guard shifted to her defensive stance (martial arts?) and spoke, "you'll eventually have to, because I will not budge from this spot!"

_She's stubborn as always,_ thought the boy.

He raised his fists in front of him, ready for a brawl. "Have it your way, Meiling" he said in a sad tone. Meiling flinched that she was called by her name, and by an intruder she did not know.

She growled and dashed towards the boy, ready to smack that calm face of his. As her fist was about to connect with his cheek, the boy caught her wrist, his gray eyes staring into her own. Meiling hissed and pulled her hand back, and then sent a high kick with her left leg.

"My kick…How?" she whispered, a hint of fear and disbelief in her voice. Two direct physical attacks from her, yet he still stands.

The young man had his right arm raised, unto where Meiling's kick landed. He hardly flinched at the impact, though there was a bruise on his arm where the kick connected. If it were a normal person, the bone would have been crushed. Then Meiling thought to herself, _this was no normal person, at least no normal person could take a kick with the force of rhinoceros._

"I can do this all night if I wanted to. Just like old times," taunted the young man," How about it, China?"

**CRACK!**

The very word made something at the back of Meiling's mind snap.

"What did you just call me?" she said menacingly, her eyes red in anger, her teeth bared, and her hands clenched into trembling fists.

_Did I just go overboard?_, thought the boy with an uneasy smile.

"No one…. **No one calls me China except for-" **she caught herself, pain visible in her eyes, as if she was straining to remember an important memory, sadly she found none.

"Tell me, who was the person who gave you that nickname, Hong?" asked the young man, a smirk spread on his face. Enraged, the guard swung her right arm at the intruder, but he ducked and made a quick jab on her stomach. Meiling coughed, then raised her elbow and drove it down, but the boy drew back, avoiding the strike, and sent another jab to her face. The guard doubled over, she felt the warm gush of blood coming from her nostril. Meiling clutched at her bleeding nose.

"What's the matter? Did I break it? You're still a crybaby, eh?" the young man taunted once more.

The guard's eye began to well up in tears," I'm not a crybaby!"

She charged at the intruder once more, sending volleys of punches and kicks at him. The young man dodged, blocked, and evaded everything that was thrown at him, yet he showed no signs of exhaustion or weariness. Meiling did not understand. Why was she crying at a time like this? Just what the hell was with this guy to withstand her attack for this long? Why can't she hit him? Who was he?

She took three steps back and charged one of her strongest combos. The young man dashed backwards, trying to put some distance between him and the guard. Meiling's pupils turned to slits and her irises glowed yellow, and then dashed towards the young man, with her hands radiating a raw amount of power in the form of blue aura. She uttered a loud battle cry, then cleared the wide distance that was between her and her opponent within a millisecond and was in front of the boy later.

Meiling threw a fast right hook, but the attack missed, "Why…" reverse kick "Can't…" left jab "I…" sweep kick "Hit.." high kick "YOU!" axe kick finisher.

The poor floor shattered on impact, as Meiling brought down her foot with an immense amount of force. She expected to find a crushed body under her foot, but there was only a small crater and rubble that she saw. She turned to her side just as a palm shot upwards from below her and connected with her chin.

The guard hovered a few inches from the ground for few seconds, and then landed on her feet.

The boy sprinted towards he stunned guard, giving her no time to recover, he struck her shoulder with a chop, and then sent a blow on her stomach, before a jump kick on the gut, which sent her flying a few feet, eventually hitting the wall right beside the door she was guarding.

Meiling fell on her front and was barely conscious,when the young man approached her.

His expression told her that he was….Proud? Impressed? Amused?

"I'll be lying if I say that you didn't surprise me back there," he wiped off the blood that trickled down his chin. He patted her uninjured shoulder and slid Meiling's hat beneath her head like a pillow, giving her at least little comfort.

"I'll heal once I get back" assured the young man, and then he went to face the metal door.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_I sincerely thank you for reading this first chapter. Take note that this chapter has been revised as of December 4, 2012._

_Please continue to enjoy my stories and leave a few review. I thank you for taking a look, and may you stick till the end._

_Yahoo~!_


	2. Chapter 1: The one who was forgotten 1,2

_Nicolas Notes:_

_And I'm back! First of all I would like to thank you for reading this fanfiction again, I appreciate the next 15 minutes you're going to spend.  
Thank you also to the people who added this story to their favorites and for those people in the review section, I can't promise that I'll get better, but I will try to meet your expectations. With that let the Madness begin...  
_

_**(Warning: If you are not fond of the little sister's fits of randomness and of her sick logic, aaaaannndddd of gore , you are free to leave for your own sanity. Note also that some contents of this chapter are really, really...disturbing..)**_

**Dsiclaimer: I do not own Touhou or any other Touhou related materials, yes the OC is mine and mine alone.**

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**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**}** {_Normal_}** {**_Hard_**} {**_Lunatic_**} {Phantasm****} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

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**CHAPTER 1.2: The one who was forgotten**

**Year 2000**

**Date Unknown.**

**The Outside, Wales, Scarlet mansion, Basement Door.**

* * *

He walked towards the iron double door and examined it. The door looked more like a big graveyard's gate made with plates of iron. The gate/door stood ten feet tall and was black as charcoal. It was engraved with what seemed like a poorly etched serpent with bony prisms for wings.

If Flandre was relocated here instead of the attic, it meant that she has gotten worst, her mental stability that is.

The door was sealed by a silver padlock the size of a dining table, though the key hole on it, which had the shape of a bat's head, was small enough for a normal key to fit. It also possessed a paper bearing the symbol of a crescent moon below a shining sun with a man's face. Celtic runes were inscribed at the edges of the paper and a magic circle was drawn, with the symbols inside it.

Sealing tags, which probably originated from the east, were pasted all over the door. The tag's numbers ranging from five hundred to nine, all with the symbol of ying and yang drawn on them, and bearing Japanese characters which had the words of sealing written.  
The handles of the door were secured by iron chains, which wrapped around the handles in a thick roll.

The young man reached for the paper on the lock and tore it off. After that, he touched the padlock, which later crumbled into dust that gathered on his boots. The chains fell on the floor, clinking as hit.

Silence

The young man raised his eyebrows. He expected the door to burst open or at least glow, but nothing happened.

What was she going to say? Will she be able to remember what others cannot? The boy closed his eyes and expected for the worst.  
He pushed the door open.

The door gave out a loud metallic creak. The inside of the room was inky black all around, and there was no source of light to that can be seen.  
Only the light that came from the outside of the door illuminated a small part of the room.

The place gave out an air of loneliness, sadness, and danger.  
The boy didn't like the last part.

The room was fairly large, yet the lack of light made it seem so small, the boy found it hard to breathe.  
He hated closed spaces.

He did not see the entirety of the room because of the limited light, but what he did see made his stomach flutter. He found a blood stained tray that lay on the floor, a severed head of a teddy bear, with its body ripped to shreds (probably out of frustration), and a bloody human finger. He then glanced on the wall to his left, which was smashed and damaged by something strong. The young man gathered his courage and stepped inside.

"Flandre?" he whispered into the gloom. The air smelled of musty items and of dried blood. The smell of the room was still slightly tolerable, though it still smelled bad.

When he received no answer, the boy decided to venture further in the room. It did not take him long to sense the presence of another person. At the far corner of the stone room, he can roughly identify the dark outline of a child, hugging its knees on a single bed. He can hear it hum a strange tune in a rhythm that goes from slow to fast, and then back again. In a dark and hollow room, it sounded eerie and slightly echoed around the walls.

"Flandre?" the young man called once more.

The figure jerked its head towards the boy. If he was able to see in the dark, he may be able to see the figure grow a manic smile. The sight made him step back and his fists clench, the hair at back of his neck stood up. The figure's eyes were like crimson headlights in the darkness. Bright and was a sign that something bad was going to happen.

This time he had its full attention solely upon him. He might as well sign his death certificate.

The young man felt the atmosphere in the room change. If there was a way of explaining it; it was pure evil. The figure in front of him seemed to radiate a strong force of insanity and was slowly infecting him just by using its mind. At the back of his head he can hear a mad laughter of a murderer, only that the voice was that of a child. A child that was capable of murder? What a twisted image that was. The boy ignored the repetitive giggles in his head and pulled himself back into reality.

The figure tilted its head to the side curiously, as if wondering why he was not rocking back and forth like a person from an asylum yet.  
_Nice try, but you'll have to do better_, the boy thought unwaveringly, keeping himself composed.

"Who are you?" asked the figure in a dry voice, although it sounded that of a little girl's, similar to that of the giggling inside the boy's head.

The boy blinked, and then he hung his head low, apparently disappointed. "So you can't remember me either, huh?" he replied in a hollow voice.  
The figure tilted its head again, its lights flickering as if they were blinking.

The young man felt the guilt in his chest grow heavier.

It was his fault that they were like this; he shouldn't have made that decision that caused their lives to go to hell, but what choice did he have? The damn magician did not make things any easier for him. Maybe he shouldn't have returned. It will only rekindle old feuds; he was not supposed to be here in the first place, for his very presence was a violation of the deal he made with the magician.

_Screw the deal, that isn't why I'm here for, _the boy thought, and when he did he knew he was right.

_It's time fix those mistakes; it's the only way to redeem yourself._

The thoughts in his mind drove out the insanity that was affecting him earlier, though his mind felt hazy and he couldn't think straight

"Who are you?" asked the figure again. The very sound of the voice brought him back to reality.

He was so confused with his mixed up thoughts that he did not notice the figure stand, with its prism like wings glowing with multicolored light.

The glow from the wings revealed the figure's form as it slowly approached the boy. It was the girl with exactly the same description as what he had told the maid a while ago.  
She wore a dirty red dress and a mob cap stained with dry blood (the ribbon is missing).  
Her blonde hair tied to the side, hung over her left shoulder. She would have been like any elementary school student if it were not for those bony branches that protruded from her back, in which colorful crystals hung; she had scarlet eyes that seem to stare into your very soul, and…a rather disturbing smile. Not the kind of smile you usually get from an innocent girl, but from something entirely different, which completely distorts the idea of her being a little vampire girl, something much worse than what the rumors that was spread in past century had described about her.

This girl was Flandre Scarlet, or at least who she used to be.

Flandre was staring at the boy with her piercing scarlet eyes, and then her smile slowly grew.  
Faster than the eye can see, she dashed from her left to right alternately, but she was moving on one direction: Forward. It was only then the boy felt pain explode on his side. Flandre slashed open a small part of his stomach on his left side, as she passed. Blood sprayed on the floor and Flandre only giggled.

_Crap, the door!_ The boy thought in surprise.

The boy slammed his fist on the floor, sending a surge of electricity on the ground, forming an electric barrier that sealed off the door, just as Flandre arrived.  
"Not gonna happen, missy" panted the boy. He held his left hand to his side to prevent further blood loss. The wound was shallow, but it still hurt like hell.

"Aw and wanted to play with big sister" she whined, studying the barrier with interest, and then she turned around, grinning as she did, "I guess mister will have to play with me instead"

She shaped her hands into claws, her finger nails turned sharp. Her white fangs exposed as she smiled. One second she was by the door, the next she was holding the boy by his neck, lifting him off the ground with one hand.  
_So fast, there was no time to react. This is starting to get annoying_, thought the boy as Flandre's claws dug into his skin.

"Hehehehe, why won't you scream? Scream already! Hahahahaha scream, scream, scream!Hahahahaha!" laughed the delusional girl, her voice full of malice. "I want to hear the funny screaming! You better scream or Flandre will get sad…

The young man choked.  
"Ehhh? What is it, Big brother? Ohhhh... Big brother wants me to throw him on the wall like Mr. Wumpkins? Really? Really? REALLY?" she asked, putting her free hand on her ear, as if she was listening to him.

_Oh please, anything but that_, the boy thought sarcastically,_ sorry Flan, I'm not gonna let anything like that happen.  
_He closed his eyes and willed the electricity course all throughout his body, creating a discharge.

Flandre shrieked in pain as she was electrocuted, forcing her to let go of her captive.  
"Ouch! It hurts! It hurts!" she wailed, thrashing her arms around and stomping her feet, her scarlet eyes glowing in rage, "bad toy! Bad toy! You're not supposed to sting me! I hate you, I hate you, and I hate you! I'll break you! "

With her increased vampiric speed, she dashed once more towards the young man and shoved him so hard he was sent flying towards the wall. The impact caused an explosion of rocks and debris, though the wall didn't seem to suffer major damages for it was made of a thick wall of stone. Feeling light headed, the boy tried to gather his wits to him, _Note to self: Never try force feeding an insane vampire with two thousand volts of electricity._

After that thought was embedded in his mind, he opened his eyes to see Flandre stare at him with a blank expression. He stood up, rolling his right shoulder, tilting his head left to right, which made cracking noises, and finally resting his left hand on his wound earlier.  
"Weird... Why... Why... Why have you not broken yet…?" asked Flandre in a colorless tone. The indifferent expression on her face was just disturbing as her insane one.  
The young man dusted off dirt on his shoulder and his knees before replying, "I'm made of tough stuff, not easily broken"

Flandre suddenly uttered a mirthless, soul-chilling laughter "Then you won't mind playing with me a little longer, right? You see, all of my toys are broken, even the ones big sister gave me. You can play games with me all you want! Big sister gave me this big room to play in, but all I have is I, so I'm feeling a little lonely. Let's play until the mansion breaks!"

She dashed once more at the young man and grabbed his collar, and threw him like a ragdoll.  
Just before he hit the ground, the boy twisted his body in mid air, and landed in a kneeling position, only to leap away, as Flandre crushed the stone floor on where he was seconds before. The boy's gray eyes caught the vampire's scarlet ones.

He winced as he landed again, the injury on his stomach and the scratch on his neck were giving him a heavy burden, not to mention the wounds he received earlier were starting to annoy him.

Flandre charged at him and slashed wildly with her razor claws, missing the boy's face by inches.

"**HAHAHAHA, A HUMAN! A HUMAN! IT'S GOING TO KILL ME!**" she screamed in delight, as she almost cut the young man to ribbons.  
The boy gathered electricity to his hands to counter, but thought better of it._ No, I can't hurt her. It'll only make things worse than it is._

Seeing that he won't be able to keep up with the defensive much long, he had to find another way of attacking Flandre without causing real harm to her. Words won't work, Flandre's state of mind prove that. Violence will only raise his chances on getting killed.

The boy grabbed Flandre's wrist in an attempt to subdue her, only to realize his mistake, as Flandre threw him again.  
_That's the third time this day_, he thought to himself. Soon, he crumpled into a heap next of the east wall._ Damn this room is big._  
He looked up and tried to scan the area for Flandre but it was of no avail. The room was black all over, and he can't see a thing without light.  
"Where are you?" he shouted into the darkness, his senses opening up, identifying every detail of his surroundings.

Suddenly the air went cold, and the boy felt cold fingers stroke the back of his neck.

"Here, mister" whispered Flandre's voice into his ear.

The young man swung an arm at his back, but Flandre was no longer there. He took a few steps back from the wall, turning his head left to right, his footsteps echoing in the hollow room.  
Soon, a disembodied child's giggle filled the empty chamber, coming from not one, but four directions.

_I bet five hundred silver pieces she's toying with me,_ he thought uneasily.

"Enough games, Flandre" he shouted again. A few heartbeats later, he heard the soft tapping of feet from his right and the snapping of fingers.  
"Here I am!" Flandre announced innocently, all the malice gone from her face once again.

She held a naked flame on her palm like it was nothing, her prism wing clinking as she moved towards the young man.

"Is mister already tired?" she asked pouting her cheeks, "but Flandre wanted to play some more!"  
"I don't have time to play, I need to speak with you" replied the boy calmly, ignoring the fact that he was thrown, nearly sliced, and thrown again.  
Flandre's eyes shown at the dim light of her fire, and she smiled excitedly.  
"Wow! Mister, mister, since you are not broken yet, I have something to show you! It's a really cute and cuddly thing and it has ribbons tied around its body!" she gasped enthusiastically, trotting over to the far corner of the room.

_What is she playing at? _Thought the young man suspicious of the girl's intent this time, _better play along then if that could get her to listen._

He reluctantly followed Flandre until she came to a halt in front of a hanged, sand bag?

The young man covered his nose with his hand, as he caught a repulsive stench of dried gore and of a rotting body. He fought the urge to be sick as Flandre's lights revealed more of the _thing_ that was hanging from the ceiling, only to find out that it was a corpse of a man mutilated beyond recognition. A full grown man, age ranging from twenty five to thirty, average build, wearing plaid polo shirt with a gray under shirt, and olive green shorts, hung from the ceiling by his feet, his stomach ripped open, causing his organs to reveal themselves. One of his arms was torn off, and a large chunk of his left shoulder was missing. His face was full of cuts and bruises that it wasn't recognizable any more. His eyes were an empty void, and his mouth hung open, still frozen in terror. Dry blood lay spattered on the floor where the man hung and a few organs lay scattered here and there, oh look a pancreas.

_What the hell?_ , Thought the young man, looking thoroughly disgusted at the sight of the mangled body. Looking past the body, he can see in the darkness the outlines of other hanged corpses, which he did not want to, see in greater detail.

A sickening crunch and the sound of chewing brought him back to reality, finding Flandre holding a severed arm, blood dripping down her dress, chewing on it contently.

"Flandre what is this?" he asked weakly, gazing at the corpse and then at the girl in front of him.

"He was my toy! Well, until I broke him." answered Flandre, staring at him with intelligent eyes, "he was boring. He did nothing but say swear words. He kept shouting and *hic*-" tears suddenly appeared in her eyes "he hurt my ears, because he was too noisy *hic*, I made him go 'kyu' after that he went quiet. *hic* He was no fun at all", then she stopped crying and turned to the other direction as if something caught her attention, and then she started to hum a strange tune. "He wasn't like you, mister is more fun, hee hee hee. "

"This isn't right. You killed him?" asked the boy once more.

"Yes! Meiling is so nice; she brings them here once a month! You should've heard him squeal when he woke up, Hahaha" laughed Flandre, and then she stared into her left hand which was soaked in blood, "Mister says he wants to talk, Flandre likes to talk! But Mister is Flandre's toy, and Flandre's toys break, but Mister hasn't, so does that make him her toy? Silly Flan, stop talking to yourself, mister will think you're crazy. He he he, ah, that's right, I almost forgot. I must be going mad…"

Flandre hung her head low as if something upset her, and then in a deadly whisper she said. "Toy's don't talk. "

The flames in her hands were extinguished and the young man was swallowed into the darkness once more.

The young man cursed. _Damn, gone again._

He turned to his left and saw the light that came from the electric barriers he set up earlier. He began to walk back to it, figuring the nearer he was to the door the easier it was for him to escape if things got uglier than they did.  
As he walked back towards the entrance he came from, his path was blocked by Flandre who seemed to appear out of nowhere.  
Her face was sad and solemn, and in a hollow voice she asked "Leaving so soon, mister?"

"No" came the boy's once more calm reply.

Flandre didn't look convinced.  
"Tell me mister, am I scary?" she asked, her voice trembling," is that why big sister won't visit me? Is it why, my toys always break? It's because Flandre is scary? Now, mister is leaving, is it because you're scared? I don't want to be alone."  
"Wait, no, you're not frightening. You're not scary and I'm not afraid!" protested the young man.

Flandre began to giggle again.

"Flandre doesn't have many friends to play with. Will you be my friend?" she asked, half giggling, clutching her face with her left hand, while offering her right. "You said that you weren't afraid of me, or that was just a lie? Humans are very good liars after all"

The young man gritted his teeth, determined to prove her wrong, he reached for her small, fragile looking hand. Just before he can grasp it, Flandre grabbed his, and yanked him down towards her, almost pulling off his arm from its socket. The boy felt a blow hit him in the gut; the impact took the air out of his lungs, and caused him to cough out blood.  
He collapsed on his knees clutching his stomach, the wound earlier not making things any easier, while Flandre laughed at his misery.

"HA HA HA HA! HE FELL FOR IT, HE FELL FOR IT~!" she sung, while dancing around him in circles, "What makes you think I'll be friends with you? You're disgusting and an idiot! What kind of sane person would fall for that kind of trick, HEE HEE HEE HEE"

The boy gasped for breath as he kneeled on the floor, cursing himself for falling prey to such a trick. He got up in one foot, and then on the other, trying to keep himself steady. "**Heal**" he muttered, placing one hand on the wound on his stomach, which closed up in a few second, after the command was uttered.

Flandre placed herself a few meters from the boy, before continuing her insults. "Stupid humans! They should... just *sob* BREAK APART! They... They're *sniff* very bad to Flandre when Flandre didn't do anything... *sob* AND THEY CALLED ME CRAZY! NOT CRAZY!HE HE, I'm not crazy, right~? Right, mister? You don't believe them, right, mister? AH HA HAHA, It doesn't matter! HA HA HA! Sakuya is very very good than all of you stupid humans!"

Then she covers her head, suddenly trembling in fear, but still she was giggling to herself. "You killed mama and papa… I saw it ….he he he … I don't wanna die yet; I don't wanna die yet…. Please don't kill me…."

The boy was alarmed to see her say such things. "Listen, I did not hurt your mama and papa, and I will not hurt Flandre," said the boy, trying to prevent her from going into succumbing to hysteria once more, "Please calm down."

When Flandre settled down, he decided to press his luck further; it might be the only chance to get her to listen to him.

"Who told you such things, that human are like what you said?" he asked cautiously.

"Mr. Felly did!" Flandre went over to the severed head of the bear, the boy saw earlier, and caressed it on her arms. "'All humans are bad'. That's what Mr. Felly and the voices told me" she whispered quietly to the bear's head. The boy looked at her with concern in his eyes. "You know that's not true, right?"

_Voices?_

Flandre shot him a venomous look. "Hush! Can't you see Mr. Felly is asleep?" she hissed, apparently referring to the bear's head. The young man was about to speak, yet kept his mouth shut as Flandre began muttering to herself.  
"Stupid big sister, I hate her, yet I love her. Flandre has to stay down in the basement. If only sister would let me out on those humans, I'll break them, and they'll go 'KABOOM'… "

Then she glared at the boy and shouted. **"Sakuya is an exception! Sakuya is nice girl, just like Flandre!"**

_So the incident all those years ago really did leave a deeper scar, despite her amnesia. It was to be expected, _thought the boy. He winced as he felt a slight head ache; he held his hand by his temple, his teeth gritted at the annoying pain in his head. _No, not now, this is not a good time. Ah, her madness is seeping through her body again. _

He watched as Flandre walked towards him, claws spread, yet he stood his ground.

"I'm not here to hurt you, if that's what you're thinking, and you know that" said the boy defiantly. Flandre drew closer and grabbed him by his collar, pulling him down on his knees, and on his face she shouted in a very horrible, distorted voice. **"LIAR!"**

Thenshe glared deep into the boy's eyes with such intensity, that a normal human being would have exploded into bloody oblivion.

Yet he forced himself to stay calm, and not to give himself into that prospect, for it will surely happen if he continued to dwell in it. In the depths of the girl's crimson eyes, which seemed to be as hot as a thousand burning furnaces, the boy saw images of a red sky, that rained blood and various human body parts, pitch forks and torches, fire, pain, a sea of blood and the screams of the dying he also heard. The maniacal laughter of a mad child killing its parents echoed itself in his mind, he saw death and violence all around, which left him stunned to think that a being with all these thoughts actually existed. All of this he saw, yet he forced himself to stare back.

This child, the little girl he used to protect, was actually deep inside was an insane, scarred killer.

_**Help me… Remy, Patchy….. Anyone? I don't want to be alone anymore…**_

Hearing the voice surprised the boy, almost making him lose focus. He gazed into the images harder, and on the midst of the madness all around, a small flickering ball of white light hovered. Unlike its surroundings, it somehow emitted a different kind of aura around it, the innocence of a child.  
The boy saw it hovering there, (and from what he saw) turning from one side to another like that of a confused person, wondering why was the world it lived in like that.

There was something trembling at the base of his neck, which pulled him back into reality. Flandre had dropped her gaze and let go of the young man's collar, as if she too saw something in his eyes. Her expression turned from anger into fear and worry. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand (that seemed to have returned to normal), and looked like she was about to cry.  
"No! I'm so sorry!" she whimpered "I didn't know mister was big sister's friend! I-I hurt Big sister's friend… She's going to be so mad…"

* * *

The young man eyed her cautiously; he put his guard up in case this was a farce.

But even as he did he felt the mad atmosphere from earlier disappear, no more disembodied giggling, any more twisted thoughts and fear, and most of all, the danger seemed to have disappeared.

Flandre fell on her knees, crying softly, looking completely harmless, in contrast with her previous personality.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry….. Flandre didn't mean to hurt you…." she sobbed, clutching the side of her head, as tears fell on the cold floor, "Please don't tell big sister, Flandre will give you m-m-many ca-cakes and teas, here!" she grabbed something inside her dress pocket,(_She has a pocket?, _thought the boy) only to reveal it was a lung organ. The young man covered his mouth to prevent himself from being sick. _What the hell? _Flandre began to walk towards him, holding that bloody organ at her side.  
"Please understand," she whispered, her small frame swaying from side to side. "It's just that they won't leave me alone…I'm so scared….._They'll _come back…. Flandre is sure about it, and she can't do anything about it….. It hurts… It hurts, mister…. _They _keep hurting her head, like they are _crushing!"_ She clenched her fist shut, causing the organ to explode into a bloody explosion, spattering the floor with red liquid and scattered gore, the boy had to shield himself using his cloak to prevent getting blood on his face. But despite all of that Flandre kept on whispering to him in a soft voice, "I'm sorry…. I'm sorry….."

The boy hid the expression of shock on his face with a mask of concern.

_Danger has passed,_ thought the young man in relief, he longed to pass out, but he can't, for he will get himself killed for sure. Sadly, his knees gave way, and was about to fall face first on the floor if not for Flandre catching him. He recoiled on her cold touch and grip of iron, but neverthelesslet her support him.

"Mister is hurt!" gasped Flandre at the cut on his right shoulder, as she held him by his left. _You don't say?_ Thought the young man sarcastically, but aloud he said, "Don't worry I'm fine, nothing I can't fix"

"Flandre will help you, she will!" she said enthusiastically, which caused her to tighten her grasp on his shoulder. The young man grimaced, yet did not complain.

Flandre guided him to her bed, which was single bed, made out of metal, most of the mattress was gone and a few springs were visible. She helped him sit down, and then dove into the darkness. At the distance of the large chamber, the boy can hear the sound of cloth ripping and the brisk tapping of feet.

_I hope this _help_ from her doesn't hurt as much as the treatment I got earlier._

Flandre soon came back carrying what looked like a dirty rag from god-knows-where. She attempted to clean the wound on the boy's shoulder, but he politely declined.

"Thank you for the concern, but I can really fix it myself and it really isn't life threatening –"he stopped short as Flandre began to wail mournfully.

"Mister is going to die, and it's all my fault!"

"W-wait, don't cry! I'm not dying! Look!" he placed his left hand over the cut on his shoulder and muttered, "**Heal**!"

The young man felt a sudden itch spread on his injured shoulder as the wound closed up on its own. A faint ray of blue light emitted from his hand as he said the command.

Flandre watched in awe, which made him crack a smile, although the effort from using that magic drained him of his energy. For now he was at Flandre's mercy, he won't be able to fight back until he has rested for at least five minutes.

"How did you do that?" asked the curious vampire, an excited gleam in her eyes, "are you a magician?"

"No, but I do know a spell or two, it's useful in tight situations," the boy explained.

"But how did you avoid being broken?" asked Flandre, looking confused.

The young man looked uncomfortable with the topic. "It's my um… Ability?" shrugged the boy, smiling sheepishly. _She may be blood thirsty, but her thirst for knowledge is unquenchable. It's a shame that she wasn't able to develop it._

Flandre lowered her head and stared on the stone floor, uneasily shuffling her feet. "Is mister angry with me?" she asked in a small timid voice.

The young man blinked.

After all he has been through, all he felt was doubt, regret, guilt, and sadness, no anger or ill will for the action of the mansion's inhabitants. But of course he understood their actions for in their eyes he was an intruder that seeks to invade their home, whereas he had his own intentions for being here, so it was understandable. There was only one person in this mansion that makes his blood boil.

The boy perished the thought and answered in what would be confused tone. "How can I ever be angry with you? Don't worry I'm fine" he said in a warm voice," ah, that reminds me" He stood up and took off his travelling cloak, and then wrapped it around Flandre's shoulders.

"I know vampires don't feel cold or warmth, but if it can keep you comfortable, you can keep it"

Flandre studied the brown leather cloak around her, and found that it was too big for her; the cloth went as far as covering her shoes. She looked up and observed the boy's strange clothing.

He wore dark blue pants, with a brown belt bag around his waist; he wore a pair of big gloves on his hands, with the symbol of ying and yang at the back of each hand engraved on a metal plate. On his torso he wore a dark brown short sleeved shirt, with a symbol of an eye on the left shoulder, and three white stripes on his right, nothing grand, all simple, except for the black combat boots on his feet.

Due to his battles earlier, his shirt was ripped on some places like his right shoulder, which he hasn't healed yet and stained the cloth with the light flow of blood, and the left side of his stomach, where he had healed his recent wound.

The state of his attire indicated that he was living in the outdoors recently. His boots were pants and shirt were weather beaten, and his boots were covered in dried mud.

He noticed Flandre staring at the gash on his shoulder, and he placed his left hand on his right shoulder and muttered the same command he uttered before. As the wound began to heal, Flandre seemed to have broken out of her trance and focused back on the boy who was dusting his pants.

"You dress like a peasant" she said bluntly, pointing at the young man's untidy clothes.

The boy blinked twice and then looked down on his attire. "Do I now? Well it's not that I pay attention to how I look, but maybe….." his voice trails off for a few moments before saying," well, it's not like you look any better"

He took out a handkerchief, knelt down to Flandre's height, and began wiping off the drying blood on her chin. She didn't resist, but only closed her eyes as the boy wiped off the smudge on her face.

"Done" declare the young man.

He stared into her face, which was full of childish curiosity, as if he were a box of presents she can't wait to open, and then to her eyes.

Her face might've shown expressions and feelings, yet her eyes…. They were dark and lifeless, completely devoid of the youthful light the used to have, saved for when she goes into fits of insanity (as observed earlier) where they glow like headlights.

He didn't see the twinkle in her eyes that he used to like anymore.

"Do you recognize me or not?" he asked, his voice calm and composed as ever, yet his face was indifferent.

Flandre shook her head.

The young man nodded in understanding. _It's now or never._

"Well, it seems like you've grown… err, quite a lot since we last met," he said, while patting Flandre's head, causing the blood in her system to gather in her cheeks and blush. "You grew taller," chuckled the boy, then his face turned into concern," I have to make this quick, but I really need to ask; what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the attic?"

Flandre frowned, as if she wanted to know why she was down here in the first place.

"Big sister," she muttered," big sister told Flandre to stay here, after Flandre obliterated the attic, but I don't mind, because I'm a big girl now.

"Hmm, of course you are," he said his concerned expression turned into a serious one, and asked once more," but how long have you been living here?"

Flandre counted with her ten fingers and said happily." Two hundred and sixty years!"

The boy's face turned grim. "Does your sister visit you often?"

Flandre found interest at the hem of her skirt, and played with it before answering.

"Big sister says that she's busy, so she rarely comes. Sakuya sometimes drops by to serve me dinner, Hong visits most of the time when she's free, and reads me lots of colorful books from the library! But it's still the same, they can leave and I can't"

She lowered her head sadly while staring down the floor.

The young man sighed and tried on his best smile. "Putting that dreary topic aside, I have something that you'll like" He reached for his back and conjured a brand new teddy bear out of thin air. He placed it on his front and presented it to Flandre, who looked stunned at the sudden gift. After a few seconds, she reluctantly accepted it, afraid it might shatter in her hands.

"I didn't know what to get you so I bought both instead" he then took out a beautiful red ribbon from his belt bag and placed it on top of Flandre's mob cap," suits you well"

Flandre touched her new ribbon in wonder; it was rare for her to receive one gift, but two? It was too good to be true. Only a few people gave her a gift, and seldom did she receive any because she always broke it after it was given to her.

"Do you like it?" asked the young man.

Flandre nodded vigorously.

"Good, because I also brought some cake" he held out his palm and conjured a small cake with three candles on top," I know you just had dinner," he glanced at the outline of the severed arm at the distance," but I bet you're hungry. I can still remember that appetite of yours"

Flandre looked offended and puffed her cheeks. It looked impressive, until her stomach rumbled.  
The boy laughed, "You should probably make a wish before eating"

"A wish for what?" asked the vampire, tilting her head to the side.

The young man stopped laughing and blinked twice.  
"Whoa, wait a second; you don't even know what today is?"

Flandre looked confused.

The young man sighed, while scratching his head.  
"The reason I came back to this mansion, after I….uh, upset you, was to make it in time for your special day," he explained, brushing his gloved hands together, and then smiled, cheerfully saying, "Happy four-hundred and ninetieth birthday, Flandre!"

It took several seconds before Flandre can register the words he said, and when she did, her frown turned into a cautious look, and began to edge away from the boy.  
"Are you telling the truth?" she asked, eyeing him warily.

The young man hadn't expected this kind of reaction, but otherwise gave his reply.  
"Every word that I just said was nothing but truths. It's true that you can't remember me, but I will never take advantage of your amnesia and lie to you, for I have no reason to do that."

"Big sister says 'don't trust strangers', can I trust mister since he's nice to me?" asked Flandre timidly.

_She doubts me?_ Thought the boy, his eyebrows raised.  
He gave out a low chuckle and said. "No you shouldn't trust me, not after what happened"

Flandre was about to speak again, when the boy waved his hand dismissively, bringing to an end to that topic.  
"So…" starting up another, the boy smiled, "I was worried that forgot about you again, so I travelled with all haste. Looks like she did forget, no wonder you're so moody"

Flandre didn't reply, but kept her eyes on the floor, it was only a few moments later that she did. "Alone," she muttered, "actually she hasn't visited me for a very long time…"

The young man's smile melted, "Oh, uh sorry about that", _I'm a tactless idiot._

Flandre shook her head and said, "It wasn't mister's fault. It's okay. Big sister told me that it was better for me to stay here, though she doesn't tell me why…. Flandre thinks that big sister hates her, that she upset big sister. Flandre's ears are very sharp you know. She can hear everything that happens above. Sometimes, I can hear Sakuya ask big sister about me, but big sister keeps saying the same thing, 'too keep everyone safe'. I don't understand and I'm scared. Hong doesn't talk about it either, big sister would call her if ask her. I think big sister's ears are sharp like mine. I love big sister, but, does she hate me? I don't get it."

_I do, but,_ the boy gazed sadly at the pitiable girl in front of him, _as harsh as it sounds, Remilia locked up her own sister to prevent her from 'breaking' every living person in sight, which is a good reason, just by looking at the event earlier, but doing nothing to help her sister is intolerable. Just letting things like this happen to your own sister, Remilia, I will choke you._

The young man shook himself out of his semi-murderous thoughts, and replied, trying to keep his tact this time, "Well, sometimes there are things left to be unknown. Remi could…. Could be doing it for you, she…. Just doesn't want to hurt yourself. Remilia cares for you and she doesn't hate you" _though I know the person who made her_, "as your sister's…..friend, I'll ask her to speak with you, and you, will have to prove that you're a big girl now. You are a good girl, aren't you?"

"The piece, I lost my piece, I won't be able to play anymore," murmured the vampire incoherently.

The young man tensed as Flandre began to speak with herself again.  
It was his turn to be cautious.  
"Is something wrong?" he asked politely, for he knew that one wrong move, it was the end for him.

Flandre stared into directly into his eyes and said, "I'm sorry mister, but as hard as I try to recall, I still can't remember who you are"

The boy sighed in relief, and then chuckled. "Hey it's okay, don't worry about it. Three hundred and ninety years has passed ever since that….. Unfortunate day….Heh, I don't expect you to remember instantly…You were the one who gave me my name, my new name that is… You made me forget about my old life and along with your sister, both of you gave me a new family, a new life, and a fresh start… I was your servant once upon a time….. My name is Rook"

All of a sudden, the gentle atmosphere back then was shattered, and was replaced by a rather tense one, like that of a stretched bowstring, ready to be released.

The bear Flandre held fell down on the cold floor; the vampire's eyes grew wide in shock, and then whispered, "Rook...? Brother…?" She grasped the sides of her head, her face contorted in pain; she closed her eyes, and started to whine, "No! It hurts! It hurts!" Flandre collapsed on the floor, her fragile mind, struggling to remember, she cried to the boy for help, but he only stood there with sad eyes.  
She felt pain at the back of her eyes, like that of a hot iron brushing against her flesh, only that the pain was inside her head, burning its way through her mind.

One side of her wanted it to stop, for the pain was unbearable, the other side of her wanted it to continue, for the first time she felt what she had not felt for a long time: Happiness.

Flandre watched as she saw flashes appear before her eyes, she saw many things that she has not seen for so long; wild flowers that seemed to glow in the pale moonlight, the sky which housed the moon and the stars, the hard roof tops of a busy city, and someone important, whom she held with her right hand, while Remilia held her by her left.  
Flandre was stunned to see Remilia smile happily; she has not seen her sister so brightly. Flandre could not help but cry and laugh the same time. She was happy to see her sister smile; the pain in her mind didn't bother her anymore, as long as her sister was happy. She turned her head to her right, but before she can even see the person's face, she was dragged back into reality.

Flandre found herself, looking teary eyed to the young man who called himself as 'Rook'.

_It's just like China's, only stronger,_ he thought, restraining his self from coming to her aid, _I'm sorry, but if I interfere now, it will disrupt the process of regaining your memories.  
_He clenched his fists, he was despicable, but it had to be done. _Contradicting the spell, by exposing an object of great importance to the person with the memory charm, will help loosen its hold and will be rendered weak enough for a full spell break. However, if the magic acting around Flandre was severed, it will make her feel excruciating pain while the memories are returning; this is the _Price_ that must be paid, pain. Her mind cannot simply process all the information at once and instantaneously, it will take time, but I've managed to break a few of your barriers. The mind cannot remember, but the soul can, that's what I'm aiming for. I'm sorry._

Rook extended a hand towards Flandre, but instead of taking it, she clawed at it, leaving a large cut, exposed through the rip of the metal plate on the glove.

Flandre hissed angrily, her red eyes flashing, and then she retreated backwards, keeping one hand on her head, while the other was scratching frantically on the floor.

"You're lying," she whimpered, continuing to scratch the flat surface of the floor with her bare hand, "you can't be him, I…. he's….. GO AWAY!"  
"I'm sorry," managed Rook, he wasn't expecting this reaction, the naïve part of him thought that the girl will recall him with open arms, but it seemed like she was pushing him away.

_No, it's not that way,_ he thought, _her mind is conflicted, the memories must've been jumbled up, making her confused. The counter spell loosened the charm's hold and released a few fragments of her memories, but I didn't think that the memories will all fall into place in their exact position. Damn I'm an idiot._

Rook sighed sadly, taking five steps back from the confused and dangerous vampire in his presence. He had to wait for Flandre's ragged breathing to ease and her mind to calm down, before speaking. "I'm sorry, okay?" he repeated, the guilt in his voice was obvious.

"Y-y-you lied to me, I thought you were nice…" sniffled Flandre, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her words were like rusted needles piercing his flesh; Rook ignored this and set his mind straight. Choosing his words with utmost care, he began to speak. "Flandre I know you're upset, but it wasn't me that hurt you, understand?"

"T-then, wh-wh-who did?" stuttered the vampire.

Rook paused for a moment before answering; _it won't hurt to tell her my objectives…_  
"It was your memories"

"Memories?"

"Yes, I'm trying to make you regain them"

"Then, b-b-big sister s-sm-smiling was a-a memory?"

"Yeah, a lot of them are gone from your head, and I'm trying to bring most of them back"

"How? Why does it hurt so much?"

"It's…. It's because you're… Confused... You're not allowed to know too much or else you're head will go boom, if that's how you put it, I think…" _That's more or less the truth, but I can't call her insane, if I say that she'll rip me to ribbons_

"Can Rook get it back?"

Rook stared at Flandre; her eyes were still filled with tears, though they were no longer falling down her cheeks. In her scarlet eyes sparked a faint light of hope; she wanted to understand and wanted many questions answered.

Rook hesitated for a moment, he wasn't even sure if he can get her memories back. The method that is said to dispel the amnesia is vague and there is a seventy hundred percent chance that it won't work, however the results earlier indicated that by some luck he managed to loosen the spell's hold to unlock a few fragments, but not the whole memories.

_Can I actually do this?_ That phrase has always been in his mind ever since he started this quest. Even now he was unsure if regaining Flandre's memories will fix everything. She was not the only one who needed to regain their memories. Convincing both Remilia and Meiling will be near impossible after the stunt he pulled earlier, but it was necessary, he would not be able to reach Flandre without a fight or two, and he already foresaw the events before he even entered the mansion.

_One step at a time_

He turned his gaze back to the tearful vampire.

She was his goal; he had to fix her, for he cannot bear to watch her to be in this pathetic state. Long ago he made a promise, only to break it. This time….

_Never again…._ He thought softly, before saying, "I can get it back, and I will…"

Rook began to take cautious steps towards Flandre, who was still having a slight hiccupping fit after her outburst earlier. Her left hand was bloodied from scratching the floor, her hat was tilted slightly to the side, and she bore a wild look in her tear filled eyes. Her sharp teeth were gritted exposing her sharp canines, though she posed no harm at the moment.  
Rook can only make out that she was still confused, whether or not she can still trust him.

He came to a halt right in front of her and kneeled down to her height, ignoring the fact that she can tear him limb by limb without a second thought, but nevertheless he patted her head one last time. "I promise I'll get them back, you'll just have to wait a little longer."

"S-s-soon?" asked Flandre, who kept her head low.

"Sooner than you think," Rook answered, his warm tone now back in his voice, however it disappeared as soon as it came, replaced by a somber one," but it looks like I've given you enough clues already to figure as much on your own. Happy Birthday Flandre…. It was nice seeing you again"

Flandre jerked her head upwards, blinking twice before saying. "You're leaving?"

Rook smiled brightly, as his body slowly became transparent like that of a ghost's. It was as if his atoms were splitting apart creating a ghost projection of himself, until completely transforming his body into a cold, wet mist, which hung harmlessly on the windless air of the chamber.

Flandre was confused and made a grab of his transparent form as she got up, but she was at best trying to grab the air, for Rook's form had came to solidify at the door.

The vampire's blood red eyes grew wide in fear; she began to run towards the door, the barrier that sealed it now gone.  
"Wait!" cried Flandre,"Rook, wait for me!"

As she ran at her fastest towards the door, time seemed to have frozen around her. The cold dark iron doors were already half closed, though she managed to catch a few of Rook's words.

"Be a good girl and don't cause trouble for your sister, okay? I'll visit before you turn five hundred, I promise! Good bye, Flan…."

"Brother!" shouted Flandre, but the doors were sealed shut.

Tears once again began to trace down her cheeks, as she soon sob.  
She just lost her best friend, again…

* * *

_Nicolas Note:  
_

_I do good?  
Well back to pointing out my mistakes so that it will hurt less if a critical reader comes by.  
First of all, I might have lack detail in this chapter and I couldn't really cook up a nice Amnesia like atmosphere, but that's me...  
Second, I... Uhh might have gone overboard on Flandre's part and exaggerated the whole thing, which could be my biggest blunder, maybe if I toned it down a notch... Also, personally I think her insanity is forced this time... Would have to work on that.  
Third, still Flandre, I may have not a good portrayal of her in this chapter, just sayin'.  
Fourth, is it me or was the end anti-climatic? I hope it's just me.  
Fifth, some parts may have not made any sense...  
_

_And that's that, I gave the OC a good beating in the form of an insane loli, because of his Marty Sue-ness last chapter, although maybe his Marty Sue-ness increased on this chapter too.  
One more thing, the OC's ability is pretty vague, eh? and may slightly be overpowered, don't worry, I have something in store to show him his place._

_Please leave a review so I may know what I'm lacking, suggestions are welcome too.  
Don't forget to rate and share!  
Bye!_


	3. Chapter 1: The one who was forgotten 1,3

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Well now, this seems to be a fast chapter update, eh? Probably my fastest for what's going to be a long while...  
Anyhow I would like to thank the people on the review sections, it seems that I caught a handful of big names there.  
This the probably the last pre-written chapter on my computer, but don't worry, I still have my giant notebook that contains atleast up to chapter 4 or 5?  
Heh, I just need to copy them from the drafts, and hand them to my friend for editing. This Author's rant has gone long enough, see you at the abyss!_

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**} {**_Normal_**} {Hard} {**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**CHAPTER: 1.3: The one who was forgotten**

**Year 2000**

**Date unknown**

**The Outside, Wales, Scarlet Mansion, leaving the Basement.**

* * *

Rook had just finished setting up the new and reinforced padlock, along with the seal which both the repaired with ease.

Once he was done, he began to walk back towards the exit when a hand grabbed his leg.

Rook raised his eyebrows and found Meiling half conscious with a pained expression on her face, while she kept him in her grip.  
_Oops, almost forgot about her,_ he thought, kneeling down to the injured guard.

Meiling tugged for a few moments before her mind could not take it anymore, and passed out into the void of sleep.

Rook cracked a small smile, and then he began to tend to the guard's injuries.  
"Looks like I went overboard earlier didn't I? I just broke your collar bone and nose, even though I wasn't trying to hit you hard," a light chuckle escaped his lips, as he examined her damaged areas," but don't worry I'll heal you so stay asleep" His hand began to glow a faint shade of blue and instantly Meiling relaxed.

The good side was that Meiling was no longer injured; bad side was Rook overused his powers past their limits.  
Rook felt his muscles stiffen, his mind going numb, and his bones burn as though they were dipped in liquid fire.  
Small electrical sparks came out of his arms; he began to cough until he began to cough out blood.  
The pain subsided, and then he began to look closely at the blood stained floor, now in a small pool of red.

_This is bad_, he thought,_ there's more than last time…_

He wiped off the blood on his chin with his forearm, before crouching down to the sleeping guard.  
"Do me a favor Meiling, and keep Remilia and Flandre safe. Because if you don't, you know what'll happen."

The guard shuddered in her sleep.

Rook began to walk towards the smaller door at a leisurely pace, and ascended the circular stairs.

* * *

He did not even bother using the hidden passages he used earlier the evening, instead he took a stroll around the mansion he built with his own hands, when times were at peace.

But all of that were in the past now.

Long ago this mansion was built for the Scarlet Sisters after they lost their home and their parents.  
Rook being acquaintances with their father, was more or less their temporary guardian at that time, decided to build a home made especially for both of them.  
After nearly a century into the sister's exile, they came back to the mansion's ruined state and decided to remodel it.  
Remilia chose the design, while Rook worked with the construction. Back then, Flandre was still sane and cheerful… Not the monster she is now.

Right now, he was a guest, well he did enter by beating up the mistress of the mansion with her maid, and so does that make him an intruder?  
A nagging voice inside Rook's mind told him he was.

Yep, he was a scumbag intruder in the mansion he once built.

But still, all those memories that the residents made here with him, suddenly gone, erased as if it never happened; only him can remember, so that he will be tormented by his conscience, while they cannot.  
Rook came to a fork, and glanced at the hall to his right.  
Flandre used to fly around these passages, repairing crater holes was annoying every time she wanted to play tag.  
He then stared at Remilia's painting in the wall, as she tried to look dignified.  
Rook could not resist smiling at the thought of the girl to act maturely in front of strangers.  
She seemed childish enough letting her anger take control earlier.

The Mad Queen and the Scarlet King's movements are maneuvered; their positions in the chessboard have not changed.  
The Knight of time protecting the king has yet to grow and so she is easily ditched from the game.

The Guardian who acts as the mansion's whole pawns is yet to be honed and positioned.

The Pieces are gathered. But there's one that moves secretly.

Rook stopped in his tracks, and his smile slowly disappeared off his face.  
"Then again, the bishop made its move without its king's awareness" said Rook, as he turns around. "And, it's still the enemy player's turn, tell me if I am wrong, Patchouli Knowledge"

He found a girl with what looked like a lavender pajama like clothing wearing a night cap, but over her weird wardrobe style she wore a pale blue cloak, with her long violet hair resting down her front.  
She held large black leather bound book at her side, while having her purple eyes wide in shock, as if she's seen a ghost.

_Wardrobe change? About time too,_ thought Rook, trying to contain a sneer being formed in his brain, as he watched Patchouli's expression turn from shock and disbelief to anger and hate.

A grin began to creep on the young man's face, as if mocking the girl in front of him, while she silently stared at him in cold fury.  
_Ho? This expression is new. I wonder…._

Without speaking a word, Patchouli opened her book and summoned surprisingly strong gust, even though the mansion had few windows for the air to enter to begin with.  
Her long beautiful violet hair was caught in the wind and looked like it was floating in mid air, while her cloak flew around her.

"So you're going to attack me just because I'm an intruder too, huh?" taunted Rook, the evil grin on his face growing wider, as he stood calmly in the wind with a gale force rank.  
"Such a shame that the girl of knowledge, the person I know with an IQ of 4999, suddenly forget a single person?" he continued, enjoying the cold look in the magician's face, "You really live up to your name of 'Knowledge'."

Patchouli's glare intensified and so did the wind, making the portraits shake and the lighting fade.  
"Don't suddenly put up nonsense, Rook" she said with obvious disgust in her voice, her eyes narrowed. "I never forget that loathsome face of yours, I'm disappointed that I had believed for so long that I have already eradicated you from my life, didn't seem like you had the guts to crawl your way back here, you damned Chess Piece"  
As Patchouli muttered the last two words, four large crystals which had many different colors, materialized out of nowhere behind her.  
One crystal was a deep shade of red, while the other was a clear color of blue. Another was had a bright glare of yellow, when the other had the dark ominous glow of green.

"So you do remember, you accursed Magician," Rook said it as if it left a bitter taste on his mouth." Of course we were the only ones who knew what really happened that day, being the ones who caused their amnesia" Rook sneered, as the wind howled past his ears.

"What are you doing here?" snarled the Magician; her voice was similar to that of a sword being drawn. "You understand perfectly well that you are not welcome here, or be near here either."  
"Oh nothing just visiting a friend, and catching up with a few others" said Rook in casual tone, putting both of his hands inside his pockets. "I didn't drag myself from that mountain and struggle for centuries to find this mansion, just to see that face of yours"  
Patchouli did not seem to be impressed with his words, so she gritted her teeth.  
"You did what!" she exclaimed angrily, "Don't you know that by coming in contact with them will trigger their memories, and they'll remember every horrible thing that they were forced to forget?"  
She tried to ease herself as her breathing slowly became labored after her outburst, and in a strong firm voice she spoke.  
" You have no responsibility whatsoever for Meiling and the two sisters, it is not up to you to decide what is going to happen to them. They are not your daughters"

Rook balled his right hand into a fist, while wearing a deep scowl on his face.  
"They're good enough to be one," growled Rook, ignoring the raging winds around him," I already told you about my promise to the previous Head of the Scarlets"  
"Your arrogance annoys me" said Patchouli, staring daggers at the boy in front of her.  
"Your face irritates me" said Rook, smiling brightly back at the furious Magician, mocking her.

Suddenly, instead of attacking, Patchouli willed the winds to calm, leaving only her crystals to hover behind her.  
"Tell me the truth, why did you return? Why didn't you start a new life even after I spared you for what you've done?" she asked, her voice so soft it was barely audible.

Rook's bright smile turned into an insolent one, and shrugged his shoulders.  
"To be blunt, I came back to ruin your life just like you ruined mine" he suddenly threw his head backwards and gave out a hearty laugh, "but that wouldn't be any fun if it were something as simple as that. Actually I don't care about you anymore. You also said the reason for my return, yes, no need to act surprised; I'm bringing back what you took from them"

Patchouli's gasp quickly turned into a low hiss, her purple eyes giving off a faint glow.

Rook ignored this and continued, as if nothing happened. "To quote Confucius: A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it; is making another mistake. It was the wrong decision on making them forget for they will never learn from their errors, and risk history repeating itself once more. It wasn't the right thing and you know that. They may have not been able to understand what really happened last time, but surely now they are ready to understand. You can't keep the truth from them forever, Patchouli, they have every right to know and one way or another, fate will see it through that they do"

Rook was forced to dodge to his left as a burning ball of white flames flew past him.  
Patchy was pissed, and when she spoke, her voice was trembling in rage.  
"I am three seconds away from casting 'Royal Flare' so you better hear this: the truth will destroy them, and they're better off without it! And if your so called history does happen, I'll be there to stop it! Protecting them from anything that will harm them is one of my jobs, and you, you, the person who was responsible for all of this mess have the guts to say that? Bullshit!"

Rook dodge three more fireballs, one flew so close to his shoulder that if his skin had a voice, it would've screamed in protest from the pain.  
"If they know, they'll be able to understand! Stop being so out of character and listen to me!" he shouted.

"Remember your crimes, Chess piece. You were the one who brought this upon yourself. You ruined it all, all by yourself!" screamed Patchouli, making her breathe heavily." Remember that you were the one who cause Flandre's madness…. I kept moving the mansion place to place, country to country, just so I can keep them away from you, you and your lust for power…. You…. The one who single handedly broke an innocent girl's promise and shattered her heart"

Rook looked as though he was struck, then he put back his arrogant smirk.  
"For that very reason I'm trying to repent for my sins" said the boy, his voice filled with hostility.  
"No matter what kind of repentance you do, what you did was unforgivable, but pray tell, what makes you think you can do anything now? If they find out, it will break them!" argued the Magician.  
"You know that telling them and making them understand is the only way to end this twisted cycle. "  
"I can't let you do that. If you do, the entire countryside will be a sea of blood. You will force the two sisters to kill each other! Remember that as their guardian, I won't let you bring harm to both of them! You were the one who turned Flandre into the monster she is now! Remember that it was_ you_ who got banished from this household!"

Rook sent her a venomous glare and raised his right hand, which was filled with tendrils of electricity, aiming for Patchouli's heart. "Don't you dare call Flandre a monster," he growled menacingly,"or else I'll blow a hole wide enough for a fairy to fit in you."  
This time it was Patchouli turn to smirk. "I'd like to see you try" she taunted, with an air of smugness around her, though she was breathing hard from her shouting.

_She sure has a big mouth for a sickly librarian,_ thought Rook, while keeping his palm aimed at the Magician before him.  
Though she did have a point from her rant earlier, his plan risks conflict with both sister and may result doing harm to both, but Rook also has a point to make.  
"Way to go on putting the blame on somebody, Magician, and my memory is as clear as yours that I remember that fact very clearly, but have you seen that 'monster' as you call her, lately? Surely not, because you always put up the stupid excuse of being sickly from actually helping Flandre!" roared the boy, the static on his hand became so agitated, that the air suddenly bore a metallic scent of ozone, a signal of a lightning strike, however the static slowly weakened down, yet kept crackling once in a while around his hands.

Rook's glare did not seem to keep itself from intensifying. "She sacrificed quite a lot from when your so called 'solution' was placed to effect. Her own sister barely knows she still exists!" he continued," you know what's funny? Is that she has to succumb to violence, just to get rid of that madness that has built up inside of her, and you do nothing about it! You barely do anything about her! And you were supposed to be her guardian, you were supposed to be curing her, yet you do nothing! She was imprisoned like an animal, with barely any clean clothes to wear, it's true that she can be violent, but if you're willing, you can help her any time you want! Hey, she also told me about another thing, you know? She hasn't seen the sky for so long… She loved the stars, didn't you know that? Of course you wouldn't bother one frikkin bit since you have 'better things to do' or busy with your 'research', while you busy yourself with your petty vices, Remilia tells her own sister that she was to stay in the basement for to keep everyone safe? I know it's a sound reason, but I must say, what useless bull crap if you ask me! You were the only one who could've done something, yet you shut yourself in your stupid library and do nothing, after what? After you finally got sick of your game of whispering into Remilia's ear just to get myself kicked out of the house! After all of those years you still bore a stupid grudge against me! But this is all I have to say, your solution is causing more harm than good… It's unhealthy; it's despicable, and very, very low, just like you"

Patchouli remained silent, her expression full of hate and spite, though her eyes showed an emotion Rook knew all too well; guilt.  
She knew that she was at fault too, but her rage kept denying that fact. She could not accept it, which in Rook's point of view, was just plain stupid.

When the Magician did not seem ready to reply, Rook willed his body to become mist once more, only to solidify next to a surprised Patchouli.  
The strangest thing was, she did not attempt to attack him, seeing she had four elemental crystals hovering peacefully around her. Probably because Rook was too close, that she knew it was over.

Rook resisted the urge from smacking the Librarian on the head, and said in the calmest voice, yet deadliest voice he can muster.  
"Remember that I wasn't the only one who should've been banished," he whispered into Patchouli's ear, " it was by my own will that I left, while you chose to stay, even though you had a hand in that unfortunate event. I left on my own accord, while you stayed and went on with your life as if nothing happened, probably meant that you're really dense. At least I'm doing some _real_ research to fix up my mistakes. You still owe me from covering up for you, and if you're going to say that Remilia won't believe me even if I told her, you'd be surprised on how easy it's going to be for me to convince her"

"You're bluffing, even if you do comeback, I will be reinforcing the memory charms so they will forget this night" snarled the magician.  
"No I'm not bluffing and you won't be able to do that spell again, unless you want Remilia to go crazy or Flandre to go crazier than she is" sneered Rook, " I am the ghost of your past misdeeds, and you still have a debt to pay, Magician"

"I will pay you right here, right now. What is it that you want?" she said spitefully.

Rook drew away, and pulled a large violet envelope, with an eye for a stamp at the top right corner. There was no name of the sender, but there was an address of the Scarlet Mansion written in a neat loopy hand writing. Patchouli reluctantly took it and began to read the letter inside.

Once he saw Patchouli reading, Rook began to speak again, this time in a business type of manner.  
"This world is changing and is proving unsafe for most supernatural beings, your safe spots are being depleted dramatically, and there is almost no safe place left for the Scarlet Devil and for her sister to reside much longer. Seeing you in your current state, their safety cannot be guaranteed anymore. So I bought you an invitation."

The Magician's eyes grew wide. "Th- this is!-"  
"An invitation to the Scarlet Devil from the Creator of Gensokyo itself." Interrupted Rook, which earned him a glare, but he ignored it and went on, "Now, back to your situation, you're starting to be afraid, because you're running out of rabbit holes to hide Remilia, so to remedy that, you start pouring into your books, tomes, scrolls, and other whatnot for portal, am I right? Let me take another guess then, this last few months you have been researching feverishly about 'other worlds' that you and this mansion can safely live in without exposing both of the Scarlets to harm, right? And one of the worlds that you've come across is Gensokyo, but dismissed the idea when knowing the only of travelling there, hmm?" finished Rook, with an odd smile on his face.

Patchouli tried her best to remain calm and composed.  
"You," she said coldly, "how do you know that?"

Rook only shrugged. "You're like an open book, which just confirmed one of my theories on what you were planning"

The Librarian gritted her teeth.  
"You've been there?" she asked filled with spite and disgust, while Rook put on a mockingly bright smile.  
"Actually I live there now." he replied cheerily, but then his face turned into a playful smirk,"Now; I'm going to offer you a choice. Go there and be safe or stay and die. The best birthday give I can give to Flandre is her own safety."

Patchouli had her jaw open, looking utterly speechless. Her eyes trailed down to the letter, which had the signature: _Yukari Yakumo_.  
Then her eyes glanced up at Rook who had a triumphant smile on his face.

"I believe it's a checkmate" he drew another object from his pant pocket, only to reveal a small phial filled with violet liquid. He uncapped the phial and the liquid instantly turned to smoke and began to hover before Rook, who watched as it slowly turned back into a liquid state. When the formation was done, Rook was facing an eight foot tall rip between realities, filled with thousands of golden eyes, which seemed to stare into The Librarian's very soul.

Rook turned back to face her and said. "Tend to Remilia's wounds and the maid's, I might've hit them too hard. I'm leaving, but not for good. I'll be returning and when I do, I'll make them remember when they're ready"

Patchouli only stood there frozen, not by fear or shock, but of amazement. How she despised herself for having such a feeling, when it was not the right time.  
_He's definitely come far,_ she thought with great envy. What if Rook was more powerful than her now? What if he was much better? What if he _will_ succeed? No, she cannot let him. She will never let him win.

She was about to crumple the paper, and throw it into Rook's arrogant face, but for some reason, she was not able to muster the courage to do it. Those eyes had a bad vibe about them.  
She didn't realize when Rook was speaking to her again.

"Don't give a quick reply" he said with one foot inside the gap, "Say hi to Koakuma for me. Good bye for now, Magician"  
He dove in, leaving the flabbergasted Librarian behind, as she finally found her voice. "Damned Chess Piece"…

* * *

_Eyy!_ _Here already? As expected from a short chapter..._

_Now to the tradition of pointing out my possible mistakes!__First! is the grammar! I wasn't very satisfied with it and may have done some mistakes here and there, but don't we writers do that all the time? *Sigh* Not an excuse for proper etiquette, I have to master the thing.  
__Second! you may find the connotations with a tiny gap with the letters inside them.  
__Third! I have to break my habit of single line sentences.  
__Fourth! Plot holes, plot holes everywhere, well at least on my point of view, I don't know about you guys.__Fifth and the last. Some parts of this chapter may have been a tad been confusing._

_Now that's over with, time to shine!  
Seems like there's some history of bad blood with the One week magician and our hero(?), eh? Writing Patchouli has been difficult, with her asthma and various ailments, but wasn't she quite __lively this chapter? We leave the Scarlet Mansion for now and proceed with the Prologue Arc-Thing. P.A.T. for short! And watch how Rook plans for his next attempt for the mansion! This will be probably a chance to introduce his relations from some of those in Gensokyo._

_Now to end this author's note, I hope that you guys are going to be with me for the next chapter. Bye~!_

Is that so~?

P.S._ Get outta of mah house! one more thing, I'm keeping the_ "**Select Difficulty" **sign above for the lulz, I'll do whatever I want thank you very much!


	4. Chapter 2: A Fox's worries

****_Nicolas notes: _

_Well back after a long week of fighting writer's block._

_My editor is out for the count so I posted this without letting her proof read it...Yep this is an un edited chapter, and expect it to be changed in the future!_

_Once again I thank the people in the review sect for the morale support..._

_And I'm warning you guys this chap isn't my best and still needs work, eheh._

_Disclaimer: I do not own any touhou related materials, yes Rook is mine, you get one for each reviews you leave.  
_

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**} {**_Normal_**} {Hard} {**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**} **

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: A fox's worries.**

**Year 2000**

**Date unknown**

**Thirty minutes after encounter**

**The Outside, Scarlet Mansion, Voile the magic library**

* * *

"Damn him! Damn that mud wallowing bastard!" snapped Patchouli Knowledge as she nervously paced back and forth, before the dim light of her desk, which was full of books, papers, scrolls and used quills. The agitated Magician was now in the Scarlet Mansion's very own library, The Voile, which is known to contain thousands of copies of the most advanced books of magic every created.

After tending to Remilia Scarlet and her chief maid of their injuries, Patchouli has done nothing but pace around the grand library, occasionally shooting a live fireball at a shelf in her frustration. The library and everything that is inside of it, is protected by various charms, spells, and curses that protects them from destructive forces such as a fireball, nothing short of a meteorite falling down from the sky, with the size of an entire state, will destroy the charms placed. However the Librarian is but five seconds away from doing such an act. The only reason she has not done is that she had no desire of cleaning up the mess afterwards.

"Why…. Why did it have to be now?" screamed the Magician, letting loose a small ring of purple energy around her, making the books shake. After the shaking subsided, the books once more became still, while the disgruntled girl felt a whole lot weaker than she was already. She pinched the bridge of her nose, as she felt an annoying ache spread there.

_Calm down Patchouli,_ she thought, trying to relax herself, _compose yourself, calm down, you've down this before you can do it again._

"Question is, how he found us?" she asked herself, her voice cracked from her shouting earlier. With her very long patience, Patchouli rarely yelled at someone, it was probably a long time since she has screamed her fury out.

She lowered her hand and began to survey the grand library. Towering black wooden book shelves stood steadfast in tight neat rows, as they held a vast amount of collections of ancient arcane text, with the first book much more dangerous than the other. Volumes and volumes of books were being held in them, containing powerful spells, cursed languages, and unlimited amount of knowledge. At a first glance the interior of the library seemed to be much bigger than that of the mansion itself to contain all of those tall bookshelves and large quantity of books, but a few charms would fix that without too much effort. The floor was covered in a wide shade of scarlet, courtesy of the mistress of the mansion, while the ceiling was lit by at least a hundred of golden wrought chandeliers. And as if the space was not large enough, the library even had a second floor, where the last thirty extra bookshelves were placed along with their books, complete with an indoor balcony.

Just think of it as a library that is as big as a small city. And because of its large space, the library was considered a labyrinth that was able to rival the hallways of the mansion itself.

But after living inside the library, Patchouli has lost interest in her library's splendor, and only interested herself in the books that she has yet to read.

_You were the only one who could've done something, yet you shut yourself in your stupid library and do nothing, after what? After you finally got sick of your game of whispering into Remilia's ear just to get myself kicked out of the house! After all of those years you still bore a stupid grudge against me! _Echoed Rook's voice, as his image flashed within Patchouli's mind.

The Magician let out a wild cry, before throwing blue leather bound book into the air, casting a spell after it.

"Royal Flare!" she screamed before, a searing blast of orange flames burst before her, and engulfed the book with fire. As the blaze died, nothing was left of the book, and in her anger Patchouli no longer cared for what she had done. She was breathing hard, tired and exhausted; too much has happened in one night. She had to rest, she had to run, and she had to hide, so Rook may never find her and the mansion again. She had to get away from that demon, or else he will destroy everything she had worked hard for.

"I have to get away…." She panted, wiping the sweat off her brow," Far away… I can't let him win… I'll never let him…"

She had to get the mansion out of this area. They have stayed long enough; she cannot risk Rook finding them again.  
The Librarian's breathing became labored, and her vision became blurry, she casted an advance flame charm in her blind rage without thinking, reducing much of her reserved energies.

_I have to calm down,_ she repeated once again in her head, _if my performance keeps on this way, I would've delayed our next departure; I have to move the mansion now._

Patchouli then approached her desk and sat behind the large wooden chair behind it, looking utterly stressed.

"I know you're there Koa, please come out, I need my medicine" said Patchouli in a very weak voice, as she addressed the person behind her.

From the behind a shelf the soft tapping of cautious footsteps can be heard, and not a moment later a young woman approached the weakened Magician from behind.

Her long smooth crimson hair swayed slightly as she came close, and the rippling of her black dress was heard in the silent library. Both the wings on her head and her back were fluttering anxiously, seeing her beloved Mistress' poor state.

Koakuma then set down her Mistress' medicine, which began to take them one at a time, and took all of the unnecessary objects off her desk. Once she was done, the little devil, stood beside her Mistress awaiting further orders, though her wings kept fluttering.

As Patchouli drank her coffee with trembling hands, Koakuma could not help but feel worried about her mistress' health. She has never seen the Magician act this way for the longest time she has been her servant. There are only a few possible events that will be able to reduce her mistress into this state, and she may already know what it was.

After a long uncomfortable silence, the little devil piped up.

"He's back, isn't he?"

The Magician set down her cup and gave no reply, merely staring with great intensity at her coffee.

Koakuma's worst fears have been confirmed, just by looking at Patchouli's reaction. It has been years since that person has last appeared, and his recent appearance has left her mistress distraught, a young man known as Rook, one who always managed to get on her mistress' nerves at the mere mention of his name. Koakuma could tell from the noises and yelling from earlier that evening that he has returned. The little devil can still remember that horrible night when he left. It still haunted her nightmares, that night… Oh how she wished that she too was able to forget, but she cannot allow her mistress to remember all alone, the horrible events, especially after she casted that memory charm on her own best friend and the little sister. Patchouli cried her heart out that night, and as her servant, Koakuma could not leave her mistress alone, even after her mistress offered her to have her memories erased as well. She chose to remember for the sake of her mistress, so that they may remember the horrifying events together.

When her mistress did not respond, Koakuma spoke again.  
"And I have already reminded you to reinforce the spell's bind around the vampires and the gate guard for the last century, look like it's too late now" said the little devil anxiously.

"Shut up" said Patchouli softly, "I know I got careless, but will never happen again, I just have to-"  
She was interrupted by Koakuma who was scowling at her.

"Okay he made a point" admitted Patchouli sheepishly "Reinforcing the spell when their minds are weakest won't work and the results are nothing short of catastrophic. But we won't be able to apply it again with Remilia's guard up; neither can we cast it once more at Flandre, whose barriers have already shattered. Meiling is ignorant, but not stupid either. She will be suspicious, especially now that she came in contact with that bastard; he probably broke a few of her barriers as well."

"Mistress, you have to take it easy, you're not used to acting like this" said Koakuma, closing in her mistress and began to check her temperature on the stressed Magician's fore head.

"That scum of a Chess Piece was lucky" growled Patchouli, causing Koakuma to back away a few paces, looking alarmed. "If he didn't catch Remilia and Sakuya off guard, they would've won! The little sneak was wise enough to use his personal passages to bypass my protective spells, damn it!"

Another black book bearing an image of a hand holding an blood red apple, was suddenly encased in ice, and in her fury, Patchouli willed the ice trapped book to shatter like that of a vase falling from a high place.

Koakuma sighed, half afraid and half concerned. "You really must stop that, or else your condition will get worst."

"I have to, or do you want me to turn you into my personal punching bag?" the Librarian asked, wheezing slightly, but then she raised her eye brows, as she saw her assistant think about the idea for a moment. "You're really not considering it, aren't you?"

"Well… It doesn't seem like a bad idea…" said Koakuma with a mischievous smile on her lips.

Patchouli slumped forward and her head hid the desk with a dull thud. "You're hopeless" she muttered.

The little devil only giggled at that, but then her worried expression returned not long after.  
"The real question now miss, is what are you going to do now?" said Koakuma, observing Patchouli's actions to her words, "I mean, his return was bound to happen, in a way both of you are alike, equals even, I'm afraid that this is a battle that neither of you will win"

"Who asked you for your opinion on the matter?" snapped the Magician, without raising her head from the table.

"No one, but I am merely assisting you in organizing your thoughts for you, so as not to stress your mind any further" said the little devil quietly. "Mistress you do know that the boy had made a very sharp point in your earlier discussion, we have neglected the little sister for long enough, um, wouldn't it be better if we just lift the spell so that we can have no more trouble with Rook?"

Patchouli lifted her head and gave her assistant a blank stare. "Whose side are you on?" she asked.

"I-I mean, that his truths may backfire on himself. There's always the chance that things may not come out as expected" said Koakuma, averting her eyes from the Magician, while scratching her cheek with her index finger. "He may as well be bluffing"

Patchouli sank back down her desk and went to the task of staring into space. "No, he made sure of it that he wasn't bluffing. He's never that confident if he wasn't sure that his grand plan will work"

The Magician took a violet envelope that sat on her desk and glared at the near perfect hand writing. Koakuma has seen her Mistress randomly taking out that letter every two minutes or so and she cannot help the feeling that something about the letter bothered her. True that Rook had left that letter to Patchouli, but the Librarian had not mentioned what it contained as she retold Koakuma the events at the hallway. What the letter held somehow irked her Mistress greatly.

"Umm, Mistress, are you sure that letter is genuine? It did come from Rook himself, and it could be a fake or-"Koakuma stopped short as her Patchouli interrupted her.

"No, it's real, alright. Just by observing its magical properties I can tell that it isn't a fake. You should be able tell it from real and fake, I've taught you much about his didn't I?" said Patchouli holding out the letter for her assistant to see.

Koakuma bowed, and said in a calm voice, "My apologies, I was just thinking that it might be a trap of some kind one cannot be too careful you know."

Patchouli sighed, and went back to staring at the letter.

"Rook has played his moves well, going to the extent of having the Gap Demon herself aiding him" said the Librarian, "Just how did he convince that demon to help him? Did he willingly sell his soul just so he can go on with his fruitless quest for repentance? No matter, this game of his is a dangerous one and he's willing me to play it. I'd like to see him try and beat me."

The smaller wings on Koakuma's head drooped slightly, her eyes full of concern. "Mistress…" she muttered inaudibly. She was then startled hard, when Patchouli gave her an order.

"Koakuma, I need you to draw a large circle around the mansion's perimeter with your power, we need to get started with the transportation ritual before dawn, I don't want to waste another second or get a tan if we delay much longer, I will handle everything from there, so be quick about it!" barked the Magician, with scowl on her face. Koakuma had not noticed the purple clad girl wearing glasses.

"Ye-yes Mistress!" squeaked the little devil, and began to fly out of the library. _She looked gorgeous when she was angry,_ thought Koakuma as she exited the scene.

Patchouli watched as her crimson haired assistant left, and began to drown herself in her thoughts once more. She had to more careful this time. Rook would not reveal himself so openly if that plan of his will not work. Having him enlisted the world of Gensokyo's creator help, only made matters worse for her. She has never met the Border Demon herself, but the question is why was that creature helping Rook, for what reason? And most of all… At what cost?

"I'll be ready Chess Piece, just you wait," said Patchouli staring down on her black book, "don't worry, this will be one quest you will never seek to accomplish. This time I'll make sure you stay dead"

The Magician felt a surge of red energy go through her, Koakuma's signal. She stood up and began to fade in a purple light, her black book spread open before her. Just before she disappeared she spoke once more. "It'll be fun watching that smug face of his turn into an expression of misery, it'll be delicious…." She whispered, moistening her dry lips with her tongue, before disappearing in a flash of purple.

It was going to be a long night…

* * *

**Year 2000**

**Date Unknown**

**One hour later after encounter**

**Near Mayohiga by the boundary of Gensokyo**

* * *

Ran Yakumo, A high ranking youkai, was enjoying her quiet evening observing the starry night sky of the illusionary world known as Gensokyo. The moon was high in the heavens along with its companions the stars, as they oversaw the sleeping earth below. Tonight was a cloudless night, so that the stars were twinkling, while the moon shone brightly. Many constellations were clearly visible and were easy to distinguish because of the clear sky.

Ran was a fox youkai or better known as a Kitsune, a youkai with enough power to fight in par with the gods themselves; however she did not have interest in fighting divine beings at the moment. Tonight was her rest night, and nothing was going to happen except for her relaxing to resume throughout the evening.

Her nine bushy tails, which represented the number of centuries she has come to pass, swayed in synch with her foot steps as she was taking her evening stroll inside a nameless forest, without going far from her master's home of course. So far no one has come to bother her. The forest was quiet and peaceful, the youkai that resided there knew better than messing with a Yakumo.

She was the servant and shikigami of her mistress, Yukari Yakumo, the one responsible for Gensokyo's creation many thousand years ago. She curled her lips, as she was tempted to enter the Human Village and spend the rest of her evening there, maybe even get a chance to scare some humans while she was there, she was a youkai after all and even though she did not consume humans, she eventually had to give in to a small part of her youkai instincts, but she was worried on what might happen to her mistress without her.

Then she began to think about it. Her shikigami, Chen, was busy playing in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost and her mistress was currently hibernating, and probably will not awaken until later next week, she can use this to get some personal space from her work area.

Then again, something bad might happen while she was gone.  
Ran sighed; she was such a worry wart.

She continued on her quiet walk, listening to the occasional calls of the forest animals and the chirping of the crickets, which were hidden in their hollows. She was at peace. She is, after all, a beast youkai, and every beast has somehow always found comfort within nature's embrace. The idea she had earlier kept badgering her inside her mind, but she knew she must keep close to her mistress as possible. If she really were at peace she would not be over thinking trivial thoughts such as that. Besides what's the worst that can happen? Nothing will certainly break Gensokyo's peace, she just needed to relax and-.

The Kitsune came to a halt, as she felt a sudden chill down her spine that made all of her nine tails go stiff. Her golden eyes widened in shock, as her internal alarm rang throughout her confused head.  
She felt a human presence human presence enter Gensokyo through a forced rip, but such a thing is almost impossible, _almost._ Actually no being alive or dead was consciously able to enter Gensokyo via gap with Yukari asleep.

Only by invitation or by Yukari's whimsical spiriting away gig, can one enter Gensokyo, land of illusions, paradise for both youkai and crazy huma- oh it's only him.

Ran's shoulders and tails began to relax, as she saw a familiar boy leave a gap walking in a disoriented manner, like that of a drunken person.

Usually, Ran, her shikigami, and her mistress were able to travel in and out of Gensokyo without experiencing any pain of some sort, but forcing one's way in into Gensokyo by the use of an illegal gap, without Yukari's knowledge must really hurt. May it be youkai or human, the sensation they will feel if they attempt such a thing will be akin to that of riding a rollercoaster that was travelling in a breakneck speed, and was doing nothing but going through loops for the rest of eternity. That will be the feeling one will get if they force their way in the Hakurei Barrier, the barrier that separates Gensokyo from the outside. The barrier itself is imbued with divine like level of security to prevent invaders from going inside, as to stop intruders from doing so; it has many unique defense mechanisms attached. One of them was just mentioned above, although there are others who are not as friendly as the one mentioned.

However, this boy was a special case, that or Lady Yukari was just playing along as always. Whoever knows what the Youkai of Boundaries thinks? No one will simply understand her decisions and choices, for they may be for the greater good… Or the bad and worse.

Now, back to this strange boy, sometimes this young man was granted permission to leave Gensokyo for the outside for a short while, but he was either preoccupied with one thing and another, or was just plain busy with a project , that he had to stay. Other times, when he had free time and was about to carry out his plans, he was not allowed to go out, going to the point where he had to beg Lady Yukari for permission, and if that would not work, he will force his way out. The boy's way of thinking is simple and straightforward, if he cannot go over, or go below, he will use brute force to make his way through. If he cannot think within the box he will just think outside the box. Although even with that kind of thought process, the boy's mind is complex, very complicated, that sometimes he has trouble on maintaining a good conversation with others. Strange boy he is, for even with that, it does not stop him from making various acquaintances, even if he is hard to approach.

Most of the time, when the boy is neither scheming his escape from the barrier or busying himself with helping the local villagers, he will be mostly found within the Yakumo residence (which was his home for the past centuries) where he spends his days watching day time drama with the Youkai of Borders, unless there was a real emergency that he was actually needed, take incidents as example.

"Back so soon, Rook?" sighed the Kitsune, as she approached the boy who was staggering his way to her.  
Rook gave her a weak smile, and then as if on cue, he collapsed on all fours coughing what horribly looked like blood. Ran gasped in shock, and dashed to the young man's side.

"Mr. Rook is everything…." She lost her words as she saw the number of rips on the boy's clothing and the half healed scars all over his person. Rook was pale, sickly pale. All color from his face was gone and his left nostril was bleeding. His hands were trembling and could give in any moment, which may cause him to fall face first on the grass, but Ran held him firmly to keep that from occurring.

"What happened to you?" asked Ran, trying to keep the panic off her voice.

"Had… A fight…" Rook explained between coughs, "The pain and exhaustion are taking their toll…. Don't worry I'll be fine… I think…"

"A fight..? What in the Yama's name have you been doing?" demanded Ran, tightening her grip on the boy's shoulder, making him wince. "Ah! So-sorry…"

"Nah, its okay… Now, for what I've been doing…" said the young man in a tipsy voice, while keeping his eyes fixed on the ground," Exercise with a couple of drunkards! You should try it sometimes"

"Did you hit your head or something? You're not thinking straight."

"Kinda…"

"This clearly has nothing to do with physical fitness!" scolded Ran, "Tell me what happened!"  
Rook coughed a bit more before answering.

"I… Found them…" panted Rook, Ran caught the sight of tears falling on the ground. "I finally found them…" he repeated.

"Mr. Rook?" asked the fox, and Rook looked up and began to wipe his eyes with his fore arm.  
Ran could not help but be taken aback by this. Rook was never the one to show his emotion so openly.

_This is a first,_ she thought to herself, _wait a minute…_

_Uh oh…_

A frightened look crept on to Ran's face. She clearly knew what Rook was talking about. When she saw that Rook was about to look up, she hastily change her expression into would be calm smile.  
"Really…? That is wonderful news, but you really must heal first" she said with slight unease, as she tried to help Rook stand.

_No! This is not good,_ mirrored Ran's thoughts,_ this is way beyond scheduled! It's going to be a disaster! Yukari-sama, please wake up!_

"Well yeah, anyway, I found the mansion in a rural village somewhere in Wales, you do know where that is, right?" huffed Rook as they began to walk back to Mayohiga. (Ran could not fly if she was tensed or pressured)

Rook filled her in with the events that happened during the exploration of the mansion, which is until he got to Flandre's part.  
"You should've seen her," Rook was saying to Ran, who was listening intently, "trapped under the basement for two hundred and sixty years by her own sister, poor thing. Flandre being in the attic was tolerable, but the basement? That's just going too far!"

A hot burning sensation spread like wild fire through Rook's heart and almost fell, luckily Ran kept him steady.

"Thanks" grunted Rook.

"Do not overexert yourself, it will only worsen" scolded the Kitsune. Was this the same comrade she had from before? She never saw him this lively. Back when Lady Yukari brought him in Gensokyo, tired and exhausted, a few centuries ago until now, Rook was never the one to speak unless necessary or if Yukari was getting on his nerves.  
Usually, Ran would find him alone to his business, like playing checkers with himself, making wooden figures from the drift wood from the rivers, or locking himself inside the guest room (which became his room through time). He leaves the Yakumo residence and does not return until a few weeks later, bringing home reports on the happenings on the darkest parts of Gensokyo, which seem to be fruitless since Lady Yukari was not the one to listen to such things for quite long.  
Whenever Ran spoke to him, he will either nod or shake his head. His usual replies if the conversation he was engaged in was uninteresting to him would compromise of 'yep', 'uh huh', 'go away', yeah, 'no', and 'hungry'. But if he was in the presence of someone respectable or someone of high authority such as the Judge of the Dead, he would cast aside his rude attitude and replace it with an almighty gentleman like one, in contrast with his usual personality.

Ran shook her thoughts out of her head, and attempted to be familiar with the boy's change. She had to know what happened to his recent excursion at the mansion, she would have to report this to Yukari later, but now she needed information and Rook would be the only to provide that. The fox hoped that by presenting new reports on the mansion would be enough to compensate for letting Rook find it and will spare her from a severe punishment.

The tip of Ran's two tailed hat drooped slightly. How she hated her luck. One of these days she was going to ask Chen to kidnap a rabbit or two for their feet, it might bring her some good luck by then.

"Did this Flandre do this to you?" asked Ran, her tails swaying nervously from behind.

"Partially," said Rook, "I had to fight my way in, of course they still have no memories of me, so I understand, but that damn asthmatic Magician had the guts to lecture me! She's intelligent I'll give her that, but she's so thick headed!"

"Most intelligent people are like that," chuckled Ran, though she was sweating profusely. "Then what happened?" she asked, fearing the answer. At the very back of her mind she screamed._ Please tell me you forgot to give them the letter!_

Rook winced, and then frowned. "Well, Patchouli and I had a shouting match, but once I got her to listen for a fraction of a second, I gave her Yukari's letter and explained it to her. After that I left using that Gap infused bottle from Yukari. And I'm telling you it was a bumpy ride… Something wrong, Ran?"

The Kitsune had an uncomfortable smile on her face, but her skin was white as chalk. A bead of sweat slid down from her brow, which she wiped off with her sleeve.  
"I-I beg your pardon?" stuttered Ran.  
_Yukari- sama is going to flay me alive!_ She thought, panic getting the better of her,_ she told me to monitor his movements very carefully and never let him out of my sight, but now I screwed up! The idiot was just too damn persuasive and his timing was perfect! He knew that he was being watched for five days straight, so he told me to take the day off for all of my hard work! And I was such an idiot for listening to him; I'm never drinking while he's around, ever! Told me something about going to the outside the border to get a few things from Las Vegas, but he never came back! The trace I put on him gone, cut, severed! *sigh* It was already too late to go after him by then. I was fool for thinking the percentage of him finding that mansion was below zero, and then I forgot that he was good at planning! He was smart….SMART! Stupid silver tongued male!_

All of these thoughts race within The poor fox's mind. Oh how she would like to cry on her dismay.

Rook gave her a funny look, probably going to ask her again, but dismissed it as he sensed that his colleague was distressed about something, probably overcooking dinner again. "Never mind…"

As soon as he said the words, Rook began to cough again. The top of his head was throbbing and an aching sensation spread through his limbs, as though they were being crushed. It went on like that for two painful seconds before it subsided. Rook tried his best to keep the pained expression he was about to express just to save Ran from further 'unnecessary' worry, though he could not keep the blood from his cough.

"We really must hurry home" said Ran with concern.

"Yeah, I think we should" agreed Rook, "Thanks for covering up for me." he added gratefully. A smirk spread across his face. "I probably won't go out of the border anytime soon anyway"

Ran tilted her head to the side and asked. "Um, why is that?"

Rook glanced at her with a wide smile, that Ran only saw whenever he somehow emerged victorious at a game of cards or checkers against her mistress.  
"Being the analytical person she is the Magician would've made extensive measures to further her study on the letter that was given to her before presenting it to Remilia." Explained the young man with an evil look, "She has to make sure that it is genuine, but that part is already easy enough to figure out, the problem is whether she will allow the invitation within to reach Remilia. She has to make sure that the vampire will somehow benefit something from this( knowing Remilia's attitude the vampire cares only for herself) or she can just cast the letter aside, however this was Yukari we're talking about here, she cannot simply ignore the invitation of a higher being than herself. Being the Scarlet's acting guardian, she has to consider their safety first, and she knows that Gensokyo is the _only_ safe place left for her to take without risking the two sister's safety. The girl is only hesitating for the fact that she knows that I'm here. If _she_ was the head of the Scarlets (which she's not) she can simply say 'no', but she cannot. One is because if Remilia is killed on the outside if somehow she would delay giving the letter, it would be her fault, and if she decided to hide the letter somewhere or vaporize it, her conscience would badger her until she relinquishes the information, but that will take a very long time before that can happen, Patchy, like I said is a stubborn one. Two is because she is nothing but their tenant and guardian; Remilia will always have the final say. No need to worry Ran, she probably won't reveal that I gave the letter, because the mere mention of me would trigger a memory, which is something that Magician is trying to avoid. In a nutshell, there's no need to go to the outside and search for the mansion once more for in due time the mansion will arrive in Gensokyo. Patchouli is probably racking her brain for other alternatives when there are none, hehehehe…."

_He's cornered his enemy to force it to move to an area where he wants it to be?_ Thought Ran, who was slightly amazed at the boy's strategy.  
"You certainly know the girl to make her go your way with a gamble" she commented.  
"Yeah that's probably what I get from hanging around Yukari. Think of it as a game of risk, luck, and chance" snickered Rook, "To me that bean sprout is the type of person who will spring a trap and endure its consequences, when she knows she has no other way around it. Going back is never in her dictionary. She is also the type of person who will not surrender easily"

"Just like you?" asked the fox, "A formidable adversary she will make."

"If she were Remilia, I would've been Gungnir'ed without question. Remi tends to get bored of mind games if goes for too long than she wants it, strange she also enjoys them greatly."

"Seems like that would hurt a lot"

"Yeah, I already had enough for one night… Soon the Magician will run out of options and will play by my game, by my rules. In the end, the truth will surface, without too much trouble" said Rook who let out a heavy sigh.

_If you only knew that you're also a player inside a bigger game, _thought Ran, _oh well, here goes nothing…_

"If they are indeed coming, may I ask you the time of when they will arrive?"

Rook came to a halt, which also made Ran stop, for she was still supporting him as they walked. He then turned to her and stared into her eyes with his unsettling gray ones. "Five years…The time I estimate for Patchouli to finish her studying the letter and for them to arrive would be five years… Probably when Remilia turns five hundred."

Ran could not help, but smile as a wave of relief swept over her. Somehow her smile was too dreamy for her own good.

_Time there's still time. I can still warn Yukari- sama about this,_ she thought happily.

Rook frowned at her dreamy expression and asked. "Why are you smiling like that trouble making ice fairy?"  
Ran attempted to kill the smile but failed. "Oh nothing, I'm just debating whether I should eat you or not, I am a youkai after all, I keep wondering what you taste like"  
"Is that so~? Seriously that sounds so wrong" snickered Rook, before he went into another fit of coughing. "Damn I feel like I'm becoming like that Magician."

"You keep coughing and your entire body keeps trembling ever since you got here. I've never seen you this sick, just what the heck is happening to you?" asked Ran.

Rook spat out blood from his mouth before answering. "I don't know. My closest guess is fighting four times with opponents that had enough powers to level a country, without breaks, can really wear one out. Using my powers above their limit so many times, and shrugging all of those hits I got, caused an overload. My body couldn't simply handle the burden. You know how I fight Ran, I delay all of the pain that I'm supposed to feel during battle, and have them respond as soon as the fight ends. That will give me time to recover, but looks like I held it back too long. Funny how you beat the crap out of someone only to feel their pain later… The Irony… You know what I was thinking of giving it a cool name to match, eh?"

Ran, frowned at his words and said. "You're in that state and you have the time to joke? Once we get home, you will take a rest, effective immediately! I'll tell Yukari-sama to tone down your next missions by a level. You're not cut out for long term combat; better nail that thought to your thick head!"

"Nothing a little training wouldn't fix" chuckled Rook, but then his eyes grew wide and clutched his stomach, as if someone punched him. This was the worst fit so far, for it was so sudden, he didn't have time to prepare. It felt like his bones were being crushed into tiny bits while they burned like a white hot metal in a blazing furnace. His eyes felt popping from their sockets and his blood felt like it was turning into liquid fire, which continued to course throughout his body. His limbs felt like they were being crushed by an elephant, ten times bigger than the average one. The other sensations were too horrible to describe. Rook's vision began to dim, white spots of light danced on the edge of his vision. His knees gave way, and fell to the surprisingly soft soil.

"Rook!" Ran cried out in surprise. She quickly tried to catch him, but small electrical tendrils seeped out of him convulsing body. The fox could only watch as the boy fell on all fours coughing out red liquid. Mayohiga was still a good distance away from their location; she will not make it in time if she ran.

"Idiot!" snapped Rook, "Aren't foxes supposed to be smart? Why didn't you fly me back in the first place?

Finally overcoming her tension, Ran grabbed the young man by his shoulders and proceeded to fly her fastest.

Rook resisted to slap his hand on his forehead.  
"Maybe you really should hang around team nine ball" he suggested, snickering despite his situation.  
"I will not! Growled Ran in a feral manner, which silenced Rook of his snickering for the time being. "The damage for the overload got to your brain, I better hurry or else I'll be force to kick your ass back to gear!"

"Hey Ran," called Rook, an empty look in his eyes.

At that Ran became scared. "What?"

"The game…" said the boy, a small smile on his lips.

"Damn it, Rook!" yelled the fox, sounding genuinely concerned.

_Hehehe… Cute..._ he thought in his pain clouded mind. _Maybe she's right. The overload damaged a teeny part of my brain… This is going to be troublesome…. Hmm, overload doesn't seem to fit its name… I know… I'll call this pain, The Price… Much better than 'overload'… hehe, ouch, feels like I have massive head ache… On the other hand this pain is nothing compared to what I've gotten used to already… I finally found them… My family… And in five years we'll all be reunited… I'll just have to take care of some loose ends… That Magician… After that, I'll make them remember…Eh? Why are these black spots at the edge of my vision…? Ran's shouting something I can't hear… I can't breathe… Feels like I'm being strangled… It'll be fun… Watching the Magician go boom for once…ugh, I give up… goodnight.._

Back in reality, Ran was shouting at the top of her voice. "Damn you fragile human!" roared the Kitsune in frustration, as Rook suddenly went limp on her arms, "Yukari-sama will chop my tails off if you die, you hear me?"

The sea of trees rustled as she shot over head, with a tremendous gust of wind in tow. She had to make it; she had to go faster…  
As she prayed to whatever god that may be listening, she kept her eyes into the horizon, hoping to arrive at Mayohiga's barrier.  
Ran yelped in surprise, as a gap opened out of nowhere and swallowed her and Rook whole…

Everything went black.

* * *

_Nicolas notes: _

_That was fun... Well, anyway, some of you may be wondering about the summary of Rook's plan, that is plain batsh*t confusing. Well, I'm like that..._

_Remember this chapter wasn't edited so I apologize for the grammatical mistakes and confusing the hell out of you guys..._

_I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I'll be editting it if my editor decides to work again~_

_Rate, review and share~!_


	5. Memory Chapter 1: Vague Roots

_Nicolas Notes: _

_After that, um interesting mishap at the forums, it made me think about a lot of things. Personally I was having second thoughts on whether I should continue this thing or not... * maniacal laughter* Hahahaha, as if, I'll mope around like that, eh? That's not really me at all.  
So now, I'd like to introduce you all to the first ever memory chapters, we'll be seeing a lot of these babies as they give as a brief insight on Rook's actual past is. _

_The only catch here though is it's all from Rook's point of view, so we don't really know what the other *cough* people here are thinking or motives. I did that so I can leave you guys to speculate some events that took place. Laevateinn will have an onslaught of these memory chapters in the future._

_For all of you who are still in doubt, I have one thing to say: You ain't seen nothing yet._

_Now to bring this notes to an end, again I didn't wait for my editor to check this since she's in Japan so i apologize for the grammar nightmare you're going to have._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou or any other Touhou materials. The savvy badass looking captain and Rook is mine, get yours with every review you leave._

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**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**} {**_Normal_**} {**_Hard**} {Lunatic**_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

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**MEMORY CHAPTER 1: Vague Roots**

**Year 1221**

**March 15**

**7:49 Post-Meridian**

**Somewhere in an island of the far east, Marina Crew**

* * *

_Did I black out? I feel lighter… I must be in a dream…. I can hear it, the sound of the waves. Just where the hell am I? Gah, I hope it's not _that_ memory…_

"Mr. Mason!" called a man.

_Hm..?_

"Mr. Mason, we require your assistance!" he called again.

_Shut up, can't a sick person get some sleep…?_

"If this lazy pansy will not awaken, then hit him again, idiot Englishman!" this one was new. Somehow it had a thick Spanish accent.

I received a heavy blow on my cheek, leaving the taste of blood within my mouth. My mind rattled at the impact, causing the hazy feeling I had to slightly disappear. Pain… With my left cheek throbbing and some other parts of my body aching, having my own eyes open was a struggle. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of the grass below me. There were two burly looking men at either side of me lifting me by my arms, as if I was some kind of prisoner. _Maybe I was….Maybe not…_ Unfortunately, both of the men dropped me roughly on the soil, and since I felt weak and didn't have enough strength in my arms to catch myself, let's say I took in a large amount of dirt as I crashed.

I heard the men laughed rowdily over the calm sea breeze. _Sea breeze? I must be near the sea then, and how did I identify it to be a wind from the sea? Probably because of the salt. Yeah it's the salt._

"Rise and shine boy! We have some work for you!" laughed an old dirty sailor.

I placed my right arm in front of me and pushed myself off the soft ground. At first I staggered as I stood, but reclaimed my sense of balance after few moments. My legs felt weak and fragile, as if I just ran ten miles without breaks. I found it hard to breathe like I there was the possibility that I _did_ run ten miles without breaks for my throat was dry and my lungs hurt. I kept my head low, focusing only at the lush green grass below me. After a few moments of reclaiming the air I lost, I looked up.

Behind the three sailors before me was a twenty foot tall spear like structure standing near the edge of a cliff. My eyes grew wide at the sight for I have never seen something so…. Strange… The men in front me were still busy laughing so I took the chance of glancing to my back. A congregate of at least forty men had set camp below the summit of the cliff, either sleeping or drinking the night away. _Sleeping felt like a good idea now, the wind feels nice too…_ I turned my gaze back to the men who managed to capture me for stowing away. Curse my bad luck, it's been seven days since they caught me and all they have for me was nothing but work. I find myself wondering what it is they need this time. Granted that stowing away was a crime, I am being forced to do manual labor, without pay! I fancy staying down the prison with only one meal a day than work my bloody arms off. At the least of the matter I think I should be glad that the captain was being lenient, giving me four meals in exchange for my service, however the work that they have put me through proves it all for naught! _Hold on a sec, I know that this is my memories but was I really that much of complainer?_

"_Does it involve in being the bait again?" _I asked with sarcasm in my voice. Then out of nowhere a massive boot stomped the area where my hand used to be, and upon reflex, caused me to stand up. I grasped my narrowly flattened hand and eyed the man who was about to charge me.

"You imbecile!" he roared. He looked like he was the captain's first mate, and had the air of being second in command about him. He had a French accent, eh?  
"Remember that we are the reason you are still alive, stow away. Show some well deserved respect for us!"

He was about to hit me, however the captain stopped him. "Enough! You will let the boy do his task and need not interfere!"

With that he shooed away the first mate.

Then I heard the man who requested to hit me earlier chortle.  
"You must do your task well boy, or you will be left on this island to starve for the gulls to feed on you flesh! gahahahaha!" he laughed loudly, and identified him as the man with the Spanish accent.

"Enough!" barked the captain. _He has a clean hat, so he must be the captain._ "Return to your duties!"

As the first mate, the Spanish man and the two men who carried me went off grumbling and planning on drinking some sake when they reached the camp. I watched them go till they were small dots on the ground below. _Good riddance, they stank horribly._

After seeing them off, I turned my attention back to the captain, who was gazing at the strange structure for awhile now. I reluctantly went to his side, and he immediate asked me in a firm voice. "Are you alright my boy?"

His royal blue coat was weather beaten and uncared for, so that the color was slowly fading. Under the coat was white long sleeved undershirt with buttons and a bronze medallion. There was a rather interesting trinket pinned on his coat, which had the emblem of a hammer and a pouncing lion.

I can guess that the white hair that had a little braid on the back of his neck was false, since I've seen my fair share of the things.  
His kind blue eyes met my unsettling gray ones, and I nodded.

Out of all the men on that ship of his, he was the only one I deemed respectable. The others were just for decorations, or were just drunkards with no real use.

"_Where are we?"_ I asked, looking around, the wind howling past my ears as I spoke. _"Did we hit a reef?"_

"No" replied the captain, "We are in the south east of Asia, unfortunately after our mishap in the country they call the Land of The Indian, where you passed out from excessive work, we landed here for some strange reason in the form of that structure, that has sparked my interest"

The salty sea air seemed to revitalize me and the call of the ocean sounded similar to that of a great slumbering creature. To my left I saw powerful white waves crash against the face of the jagged cliff. The sky was patched with thick clouds, yet a small part of the glowing moonlight can be seen and the stars kept on sparkling. Over at the horizon was covered in what seemed like a thick dark curtain, which I identified as rain clouds. It was going to be a stormy night. My vision became dimmer and dimmer till I can see no more. I can still hear the sea though for some strange reason.

_Hm? Eh? Wha-wha-what happened! Why can't I see anything? Have I gone blind? Wait a second… Calm down…. It's just a memory, it's normal that I can't recall some parts, but…. I know that this isn't a normal dream, but a memory, yet how can I be conscious at the same time? I've been noticing it now, but I wasn't in control of my movements…As if someone was controlling me instead… Maybe if I dream my memories, I see the world through my eyes yet I can't control my actions? No, no, that doesn't make any sense at all… How is this even possible again?_

"_Why did we stop here?"_ asked my voice.

"It's because of that" answered the captain.

"_The structure? It seems to be a monument to me"_

"Do you know what it is? You seem to be a professional in strange things and objects of mystery"

"_No, you must be mistaken. All that I can make of it is that nothing is out of the ordinary. Supposedly the natives may have built this as part of their strange religions; you do know that their practices differ from our own, captain"_

"Indeed, however the natives could not have built this for this is first class architecture to rival that of all in Europe. They may not be capable of building such a structure such as this"

"_If there's a word to describe it, it would be: otherworldly. It doesn't look like it belongs to this world. If the natives indeed built this… They had some help…"_

"The question is my boy, from whom…?"

Silence…

"_I don't even want to know"_

***Rustle, rustle. ***

"Oi, boy! What are you doing?

"_Glyphs…. There are engravings here of the moon"_

"Get away from there boy, it might be dangerous! You have no clue what that is!"

"_That's why I'm the one your men picked to investigate, right? Just so they can sate their curiosity and be gone from this island… Now let's see what we have here so you can go on with your expediton, cap'n… Moon phases. These glyphs are moon phases"_

***Rustle, rustle***

"I say, young people"

"_Ready to join me, cap'n?"_

"Never mind that! It seems to be a puzzle"

"_How are you so sure about that?"_

"How are you sure that these are moon phases, boy?"

"_I steal books from nobles"_

"I see, well then, I am an explorer! It is common knowledge for me to know these! As you can see here the phases are all jumbled and there are some glyphs that I cannot identify. It is probable that they were placed there to confuse us"

"_Seems like an easy puzzle to solve, so why bother creating it? One wonders what will happen if we solve it"_

"Pray that we do not release a demon for that would prove nothing but a nuisance"

"_Alright. Step back, tell me which glyph to touch and see what happens"_

"Very well"

***Rustle, rustle, tap***

"_You ready cap'n?"_

"Yes"

"_Good, let's start"_

"New moon" ** *Clank***

"Waxing Crescent" ***Clank***

"First Quarter" ** *Clank***

"Waxing Gibbous" ***Clank***

"Full Moon" **…**_"Sorry, this thing is hard to push _***Clank***! _There we go!"_

"Waning Gibbous" ***Clank***

"Third Quarter" ***Clank***

"One more! The last is the Waning Crescent!" ***Clank,ksssssss***

"_Um, was that supposed to happened? Why is the tip rising?"_

_I can't hear the laughter if the men at camp… The wind kept howling…. Just what the heck was happening? Stupid memory…_

"Boy, I think it is best to stay away from it!" called the captain's voice.

The air was humming with energy. It felt strangely warm all of a sudden…

"Something is strange… The winds have died and there appears to be a metallic scent in the air… Boy you must get out of there!" shouted the captain.

"_Beautiful…"_ I hear myself say.

"Boy, have you gone mad? Leave there at once!"

"_My life has no value…" _I said as if I were in a trance, _"However I value the life of others… Isn't that strange?"_

The humming grew louder.

"_I understand…" _I whispered.

"Mr. Mason, Lightning!"

At that, it was as if someone pulled a curtain before my eyes. I was nearly blinded by the light which the white structure was radiating, causing me to step back a few paces. The structure somehow was glowing green, white, and blue. At the sound of my name I had enough time to look up like an idiot and say, "Dammit…" before an energy charged lightning bolt struck me…..

All I thought was that I was the most unlucky person in the world, yet by some miracle I was still alive.  
Pain was all over my body, making my vision blurry.  
My ears were ringing so I can barely hear anything.

All I knew was I was laying within a large crater with small fires all around. I struggled to lift my hand and look at it, but what I saw made my stomach lurch. My left hand was looked as though it were overcooked. It was charcoal black and there were small patches of red revealing my bloody muscles. I dared look at my other hand which proved to sustain the same amount of damage; however both had one thing in common. Both bore the signs of electrocution and were almost burned to a crisp.

I groaned at what was going to happen next. With these injuries I will not be able to survive for long. The luck angel or whatever has given me everything just by being alive now.  
I was going to die and there was nothing I can do about it…  
I hope the captain and his pig like crew are safe…. They probably left me for dead; I wasn't much use to them anyway.

_Good riddance…._

I have no one, so nobody will probably have to shed their tears for me, which is good.  
I didn't want to be grieved for anyway….

_Hmm?_

Footsteps... Must be the cannibal natives…  
The lightning saved them the effort of cooking me, how convenient, for them that is…  
There are two of them…

"Teacher is he still alive?" asked the quiet voice of a girl._ And in English too…._

"I doubt it" answered another voice, this one was older, much more mature," His vital signs are weak. He will die within a few minutes…"

_Good to know…_

"Aww, what a shame. He does look handsome and he acquired that ability stored in that capsule. It would be a waste if he died now" said the girl's voice in a businesslike manner.

"Why would it be a waste, princess?" asked the woman.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe if you gave him a sip of _that_ medicine you will be able to observe if he can adapt with its effects along with his new abilities. In short a test subject! And a surprise for _her_ if she shows up" proposed the girl's voice all too innocently.

The woman seemed to sigh at the girl's reckless decision. Whatever that medicine is, it's going to be trouble. "Princess, this is my prized creation we are discussing here, I will not allow giving it away leisurely to an unknown, dying boy whose origins we barely know of. After what happened with the disaster that the last one stirred I must be careful on handling the last flask of the elixir. We need not trouble ourselves further with this"

"Aww, come now sensei, just two drops. We can save the best for last and I assure you that this experiment will be fun!" said the girls' voice. "It'll be a unique experience, having a walking time bomb thread this land. Think of it as an investment that we'll benefit from in the future, tools like him could come in quite handy given the time~"

"It is rare for you to actually meddle in my experiments, but it seems like this will be a risky investment." The woman was silent for a few seconds before replying," I do not approve of this, having another undying after us won't do us any good. If this boy will serve as a 'tool', the question to that is, will he be a tool for what purpose, and why? I don't see how wasting my precious drug on a hopeless cause would do us any good at all. I say it is better to save the drug for an important occasion, for example when the time we really need it"

"Oh teacher, can't you see that this is an important occasion? Do you not see that this boy here is… special?" mused the girl, "This pathetic being here is a one of a kind, grade A, specimen of a monstrosity with that ability latched on him. Right now, without outside intervention he will die, and you can kiss goodbye to all of your future projects since _this_ young man is an origin. The possible roots of an entire new field for you study and to experiment on. For what reason did you plant the capsule here in the first place? It was for a human, yes a human with enough intelligence to solve that oh so simple puzzle that was placed within, and unlock that ability within so as to see if it would be compatible with the human in question. Now, this human has proven to merge perfectly with the ability, but was seen with unfortunate complications. The lightning was out of your calculations was it not? You never expected the specimen to be this gravely injured and dying to boot. The important thing is you can still save him, but not with conventional methods of healing, why not add a bit of spice while you can? As I have said it will be fun! This boy is neither human nor lunarian, but something much, much more. Like I said earlier he is a possible root to a whole new area, he is also the first specimen for this project not including _her_ to the list. He is a prototype with the possibility to be mass produced. If you will give him a few years on his own, and then come back to study him, gathering an army will be a cinch. It may even be possible that we can take over the moon with said army"

"Please do not get ahead of yourself princess, chances of a prototype to be successful is very slim, and even if we do give him that drug, what of his sanity? It is highly possible for him to go mad with that unstable power within him and the effects of the elixir. Prototypes are meant to be failures and it takes a lot of tries to get one right. Who knows what this boy will do. If he wrecks insurmountable havoc it may even gather the attention of those on the moon and lead his capture so they may study him for themselves. Having someone as powerful as him running around poses as a great risk, especially to us, for surely once he is captured, those on the moon would be able to recognize our doing and trace us for our arrest. As tempting a new field for me as it is, I cannot allow harm to befall you because of this pointless shenanigan, I simply cannot risk it" argued the woman, though there was doubt in her tone.

"It's for the future, sensei, I assure you that you will not regret this choosing to let him live," proposed the girl silkily, "If he turns out to be a failure, we can always perform an extraction of his abilities. And judging by his looks alone he has a strong mind, though I could be wrong. I'm sure he will be able to cope with the effects"

"Do not blame me if this experiment will come and bite us later" said the woman coldly.

"Thank you, Eirin~!" giggled the girl.

I felt confused as their strange conversation ended, barely understanding any of it.

Someone supported my head to face upward. I can make out the features of a woman, but it was too blurry to identify. Why did I feel afraid? Why did fear have to spread throughout me now? Why do I get the feeling that something bad was about to happen…_ It's probably because there was…_

"I am only doing this because the princess asked me to" she said, and then I felt the sting of a needle piercing my skin.

"_Gah, who... are… you…?" _I managed to croak.

The woman seemed to consider before answering. "I am the Brain of the moon"

"_The moon..?"_ I asked before I felt the rim of a cup was tipped over my lips. Whatever they gave me tasted sweet. As sweet as the sweetest bread I have ever tasted. The strangest thing was that I didn't resist the drink or spit it as soon as it entered my mouth. The second time I drank was bitter, as if I just drank a fairly bad tea or something, though I didn't gag, it still tasted horrible. Just what are they making me drink? Are they witches who were willing to turn me into their unholy minion? Stories such as those spread like wild fire the past century in Europe.

I felt the hand behind my head let go and soon my scalp touched the rock beneath it.

Pain flushed within my gut, causing me to cringe in agony.

_Just what the hell have I done to experience nothing but stupid stomach aches for the last twenty four hours! Seriously it has to stop! Guh, It seems like whatever I feel in this place I feel as though I felt it in real life. Too realistic…._

I glanced at my left hand and almost passed out at what I saw, somehow it was worst than looking similar to charred wood. My hand was now between solid and mist form.

"_What the hell?"_ I growled.

Electricity began to course throughout my body, and the sand began to swirl around me. The wind howled louder than before, buffeting me with the dirt it carried.

"Take it once and one will not age" said the woman.

"Take it twice and the sickness will no longer burn" giggle the girl.

"Take it three times and immortal you will turn" they both laugh in unison. It sounded eerie with the sound of the sand and the crackle of electricity. It was as if they were one of those demonic sirens sailors have been telling. The moon? Medicine? Experiment? What are they planning? And…. Why?

The woman was the first to hold her laughter. "Only problem is you only took it two times! My, this will be an interesting fruit to harvest… I am not expecting perfect results, but I would love to see how a human like you will fare with the curse of eternity…"

"I wonder what will happen! No one has drunk the elixir with only two doses, who has ever heard has ever heard of a half immortal?" chortled the girl.

_Bunch of lunatics…._

"_Why do you do this?"_ I asked, groaning at the pain of my stomach which was now creeping up to my heart. My lungs felt like they were being crushed, making my breathing shallow. The air felt cold and beads of sweat formed upon my fore head. There was this piercing pain behind my eyes that kept me from identifying my tormentors.

"For fun!" replied the girl. "Be honored to be given a second chance in life mortal" she giggled loudly. _Oh she's enjoying this…._

"We will meet again experiment number two… Farewell for now..." said the woman.

_Wait! What the hell did you just do to me?_

_It hurts…_

_I can't control it… Why can't I control it?_

_Damn it…_

_It would've been better if they were cannibals…_

My eyes felt heavy amidst the chaos around… Sleeping sounded like _really_ good idea now… Yep…  
Last thing I saw was my hand was fully healed and no longer burned…

Just who were those people?

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Okay... I think I should change the 'Memory Chapter' to 'WTF Chapter', due to the unexpected appearance of those who were the most to unlikely to appear. Then again the chapter title was _Vague Roots_ making the whole thing unclear. Those people still had unclear intentions and... bah, what am I saying, I'll leave to you people to speculate. This chapter had more dialogue than actions, didn't it? I'll say this again, this is an un edited chapter, and I'll be changing it in the future if my editor points it out for me, though you guys are always free to do so too. Just a couple more chapter, don't worry, the real thing will start by then. _

_Now the big questions to this chapter is, _**What** _were those two doing there of all places? _**Why** _were they there? _

_Hmm, it's too much of coincidence isn't it?_

_I wish more people would come by... See ya the next chapter!_


	6. Chapter 3: Bright days and Dark Prospect

_Nicolas Note: _

_This will be the last pre written chapter, heh, and don't worry it's edited so there should be minimal flaws hanging around._

_Unfortunately Me has an announcement, I'll be working with a quota now that needs to have at least 3 chapters written before I start posting, so even if I have an update here raring to go but I'm not gonna post it. Sorry about that but blame school and real life XD_

_I'll be posting occasional one shots so that you guys won't forget about me!_

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**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**}** **{_Normal_} {**_Hard_**} {**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**CHAPTER 3: Bright days and Dark prospects**

**Year 2000**

**Date unknown**

**9:38 anti-meridian**

**Mayohiga, Guest room, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rook woke up with his head throbbing and both of his arms tingling. His whole body was numb all over as if he were tossed around like a rag doll for twenty our hours straight. That dream he previously had was too realistic for his tastes. Out of all, it had to be that… The one where he acquired his powers. The events that followed were too vague to describe and how he managed to return to Europe back then was as foggy as the former. Though he can still recall a few names of the people who helped him get back on his feet… But that was a story for another time.  
Right now he felt as though his control and immunity over electricity was taken away, and had him experience electrocution five times in a row. The dull pain from 'The Price', a name he gave to the unique pain he felt after over using his powers, was still present within him in the form of a massive headache.

He realized that he was still under his blanket and was currently staring at the dull white color of his ceiling, waiting for the annoying stinging within his head to subside. After a few moments he suspiciously checked under his blankets and found out that he was still on his old clothes, which sent a heavenly feeling of relief throughout his body. Having someone else dress him while asleep somehow disturbed Rook. Under all circumstances he will not allow anyone to do such a thing. This boy is too conservative!

Rook slumped back into his soft pillows. His throat felt raw and his mouth dry. He needed something to drink.

"Water…" he groaned, not wanting to get it himself.

"Much obliged" chuckled a sweet poisonous voice.

Rook removed his fore arm from his eyes, just to see a narrow two meter long gap rip a space between realities open up on his ceiling, and unleash a torrent of water into his face in pointblank range with the force of a fire hose.

_***WAR- GARBLE- GARBLE-GARBLE-GARBLE-GARBLE!***_

"Dammit, Yukari!" sputtered Rook, drenched in ice cold water.  
He turned to his side and glared menacingly at the blonde woman, who currently had the lower portion of her body within a purple gap. Her purple and white dress were good for Rook's eyes for they contrasted each other nicely, and the white mob cap with the long thin ribbon attached was a nice touch to her outfit. But even if the woman's fashion style was unique and interesting, Rook was not impressed for he has seen it to the point of getting used to it; right now he clearly disliked the woman's presence.

Yukari Yakumo, the notorious Gap Demon, donned a playful look on her face as she saw the boy's displeasure.  
"I only wanted to help" she chuckled lightly, sarcasm dripping on every letter, "Aren't you a few centuries too old to wet your bed? Oh poor thing, would you like big sister Yukari to help you change your sheets? All you have to do is call me 'onee-chan', uf fu fu fu"

Rook clenched his fist and through gritted teeth he growled. "You have disgusting tastes as always. I swear if I get my hands on you I'll force down as much of Chen's cooking down your throat until you die of suffocation if it's possible"

Yukari attempted to pout cutely but she would rather try casting a villainous look for that is the closest thing that would describe her face. "That isn't the thing you say to a beautiful young lady who actually bothers to waste her time waking you up, so that the first thing you see is a woman's natural beauty. You really need to _cool_ down"

Rook raised his finger as warning.  
"Yukari, don't you dare-" started Rook, but was cut off as another gap, this time wider than the first, opened beside Yukari and released a flood burst with the force of a land slide. Rook was thrown off his bed and was pinned into the wall right beside his desk. The pressure was too much that he cannot fight it.  
When the gap finally closed, the bedroom was knee deep in salt water, luckily for Yukari she was floating within her gap, laughing out loud at Rook's misfortune (which was entirely her fault), while the boy himself sat half conscious beside the wall.

Rook's eyes flickered to life and grabbed the edge of his desk for support. The vein on his fore head indicates that he lost his cool just now.  
"**YAKUMO!**" he roared so loud, that the ball point pens stacked within a stationary cup, shook slightly.

Suddenly, an electrical wire that hung from another gap fell into the water inside Rook's room.

Does this author have to mention that the wire was packed with eighty thousand volts of pure energy?

Rook replaced his furious expression with a serene smile, which the Youkai of Borders happily returned.  
In a deadly whisper he said. "I will ram my foot up your-"

-Insert screams here- -insert electric sound effects here-

Yukari watched, as Rook was being electrocuted before her, while fanning herself peacefully at the sight.  
"Oh my, it seems that his immunity with electricity is only present if he wills it" said the Youkai of Boundaries, cheerily at the thought.

An hour later, the water in Rook's room was drained and completely dry, any objects that were broken when wet, were completely restored.  
Meanwhile at the kitchen, a smiling Yukari (who received a mild head injury when Rook caught her, how he did it is still a mystery) and an angry Rook shared a cream colored round table with a potted plant on the middle.  
After staring intensely at the Gap Menace before him, Rook noticed her shikigami, emerge from the kitchen carrying a wooden tray that held two cups of tea, a slice of chocolate cake and three slices of toasted bread that was buttered with, well, butter.  
Ran served them both their tea as the two had their morning conversation. Usually the topic would be the daytime drama reviews, which Rook was more than happy to participate to pass the time.

"Thank you, Ran my dear. Lovely as always" said Yukari gratefully, complimenting Ran's attire of a blue Japanese style dress with oversized wrist cuffs, and two tailed cap with strange seals embroidered on it. "The pleasure is mine, Lady Yukari" replied the fox politely, her tails swaying back and forth.

"Now," Yukari turned to Rook who was giving her a death glare from the other side of the table, "that little event is over, all I have to say is: Good morning, Rook~!"  
The sound of a metal object hitting a wall was heard all over the house.

"As if it wasn't obvious that I'm having a bad morning already!" shouted Rook, as he pulled an iron kettle out of nowhere and prepared to throw, "I should just get that shrine maiden to exterminate you for good! I don 't care if you're so important, as long as I'm happy!"

"Now, now, let's not be selfish" said Yukari after gapping a heavy frying pan that was about to hit her square on the head, followed by a number of kitchen utensils that were thrown without mercy one after another, "I also won't have you bother Reimu this early in the morning, the poor dear just got back from another incident"

"If you're going to wake someone, do it in an acceptable manner!" snapped Rook, launching another frying pan at the Gap Youkai.

Yukari Yakumo, known to some as the Gap Demon, while bearing hundreds of other titles to many, a youkai that is indeed a mystery that has taken flesh, a legendary youkai that had enough power to create an entire world, a paradise now known as Gensokyo to all. Her origin is still unknown and no one may it be man, beast, or youkai has dared asked her for in fear that she would use her dreadful powers to banish them in an unholy world. Both of the youkai within and outside Gensokyo feared her very name. Most elder humans tell stories to the young ones of the great Yakumo's deeds, they even go as far as telling that the Yakumo would be able to see what you are doing, anytime, anywhere, anyplace, and no matter what the circumstances she knows all and sees all. Gensokyo, being the very world she has created for both man and youkai, is right beneath her finger tips. She has so much control over this paradise that if she wills it, she would be able to destroy it within a blink of an eye. Most people say (including youkai) that she did not even originate from this dimension, seeing that her ability allowed her to cross between realities with ease. Next to the Yama and the Dragon god, Yukari was the most powerful youkai in Gensokyo, if not, the entire world. A being with the power to control the border of anything, thus leading the control to everything, a power anyone would kill for, a power that could be both used for good and evil, or for just playing pranks to pass the time. After spending over countless millennia's with her power, Yukari has grown bored of it and only uses it for her own vices, such as committing voyeurism on an unsuspecting shrine maiden, teleporting an unwary human into the Misty Lake, gapping stray objects directly above you and let gravity finish the job. The good thing is Yukari's imagination is not that wide that she can think of much more horrible ideas to try. She is still a very powerful youkai and one not to cross if a human or youkai would like to see another sunset. However despite her notorious reputation as stated above, Yukari could still be a fairly kind youkai if you get to her good side. To those who know her personally, take her shikigami and her house tenant as example, they would probably tell you that she is the exact opposite of a short tempered, mysterious, frightening terror that would banish you to a deserted waste land without thinking. To them and those of her acquaintances would describe her as a young woman with no sense of responsibility to the very world she has created by allowing it to fall victim to the 'incidents' that are caused by bored youkai.

In reality, Yukari is more of an easy going person, fairly mischievous and whimsical as her ghost best friend, but with a touch more of a harsh prankster, a youkai that is not really the 'leader type', but strives to become a good model only to fail at it. Her main occupation and role in Gensokyo is to act as the overseer and the foundation of the barrier, however she rarely takes the job seriously for throughout the decades that pass, outsiders find themselves spirited away into Gensokyo by accident when the barrier was supposed to keep everything on the outside from entering. On a couple of occasions Yukari herself was the cause of the spiriting away, her reason?

"I was bored and I wanted to pass the time" she said, while poking the unconscious outsider by the tip of her umbrella.

"Dammit, Yukari, put them back where you found them!" yelled Rook, with Ran sighing nearby as the two argued.

Oh yes, Yukari likes displaying her power every chance she gets, going as far as using her gaps to do the simplest of tasks, changing her clothes, cleaning herself, tying her hair and so on… She was youkai so she had little care for outsiders or humans in general, though she can be friendly to both, but it was only if she needed to. Since she is the creator of this world she also likes to show that she can do whatever she wants and gets away with it because she had a role to play in this world. She does not care if an unwary outsider meets his or her untimely demise as soon as they enter Gensokyo. She would simply say that it was only one person and say that there are more people in the outside and that it was not something to make a fuss about. A person who lacks tact if you ask me, although she could be polite at times, she simply has no care for the feeling of others and is easily amused at the displeasure of other people around her.

Back in the nearly demolished kitchen, Yukari proceeded to take a sip of her tea while sporting another large bump on her head (which was caused by a short metal pipe that miraculously hit), before speaking. "So… What is it you want to discuss? If it's about the show that you were waiting for, it was moved to a new timeslot at 8 a.m. in the morning" said the Border Youkai casually, ignoring the good sized lump on her head, which caused a dull throb every two seconds.

Rook had just finished his lecture on the subject of 'not waking people up by killing them', which somehow needed the dining room/ kitchen as a sacrifice for the flying projectiles.  
_He must be taking down notes from that Judge,_ thought Yukari, for saying that in an undertone would risk Rook going berserk again.

"Dreams" replied Rook, dusting off dirt on his shirt and trouser that somehow survived the flood and was completely dry, as he sat down on a wooden chair that somehow survived his purge. "You had a hand in mine, didn't you?" he continued.

Yukari took a sip of her tea and smiled. "So what if I did" she said cheerfully.  
Rook glared at her, calculating what she was thinking, seeing that kind of smile appear on her face instead of her usual smirk gave him bad vibes.  
Therefore he chose the safe route and decided to end the discussion to save him from talking to her any further.  
"It's annoying, so stop it. End of conversation" he stood and proceeded to exit the room, only to be swallowed by a gap and placing him on where he sat moments before.

"You may end it by your own will, but not mine. I am not done speaking with you yet" said Yukari as she spread her white fan across her face, leaving only her golden eyes visible.

Rook rolled his eyes, eager to end it, he said. "Make it quick"

"Now, I have observed you these past few days, and I can't help but notice that you're acting rather strangely" said the Border Youkai.

Rook raised his eye brows questioningly at the statement. "How can I act strangely, when I just slept for even days straight?"

Yukari only giggled at him,

"You broke into my mind's border, didn't you?" asked Rook suspiciously.

Yukari ignored the question and continued. "Boy, you are similar to that of an open book with a bad story. Too predictable, hard to understand yet easily read. I know that something has been bothering your mind, Rook. Your borders show me so. However, I don't even need to use my ability to know that something is wrong; merely seeing you uncomfortable with our current topic is an obvious answer. I have known you long enough to fully recognize your traits, personality, tendencies, and limits"

"So… You want to know what's troubling me, eh? And you even used that dream as a guess?"

"Hmph, seems like I hit the nail on the head, right?" said Yukari.

Rook cracked a smile at that. "Close, you're only off by a mile though"

"Even so, it seems like I dug something very interesting…"

"You were in that dream, weren't you?"

"Indeed I was it seems like you met some quite interesting people, would you care to tell me more about them?"

"Even if I did I wouldn't tell you, its personal matters that doesn't concern you"

"Oh come on, we've been buddies since what? Three, two centuries already? Oh my, time surely goes fast."

"The less you know the better-"started Rook only to be cut off by Yukari.

"Rook… I have respected your decision on not revealing the full account on your past _and_ your reason for your endless searching for that precious mansion of yours, however if the cost of this search is getting yourself beaten up, I will have to step in and put a stop to it. Your life is valuable Rook; it would be waste if you died all of a sudden. Gensokyo would've suffered a great loss if you did. You have to know the consequences of your actions for if not, it would cost us dearly, do you understand?" said the Gap Demon in an unfamiliar stern tone that she has never used.

Rook gave her a blank look with his mouth hanging wide open. Did her personality do a one-eighty degree turn all of a sudden? Seeing _this_ Yukari felt alien to him, very unfamiliar and…..

"I mean if you're all black and blue, how shall I pull my pranks on you?" continued the Border Youkai with a wide smile on her face. Yukari snapped her fan to a close and leaned on the table, her dark golden eyes gazing with a caring expression at the boy's uncomfortable gray eyes.

"Stop staring…"

"I'm not~. Anyway, the only thing you can do now is to speak your mind. Doing so will ease yourself greatly; stop keeping it all within, mmkay? "Said Yukari with a playful smile on her lips.

Rook narrowed his eyes, "Stop cornering me… You want me to tell you about my oh so secret past? Well, if you want to know the daily life of a farm boy who met a freak accident so much, buy a book or something, you'll find something similar to my story…"

"You're lying again Rook~"

"What?"

"Border of truth and lies…" explained Yukari. "I'm not the forceful type of person that uses both psychological and physical attacks to make you do what I want. Hide it all you want Rook, just as you said to that Magician, the truth _will_ surface. Just like you, all I have to do is wait…"

"Fine, but stop reading my head, if you want a mind reader get a satori or something…" he groaned, smacking his palm on his head as he leaned back on his chair, "You win this round, I'll tell you…"

Yukari punch the air with great vigor, a smile on her face as she did.

"But…"

The smile melted off the youkai's face.

"I never said when I will tell" added the boy with a smug look on his face, standing up and approaching the door. "I'm going out for a bit, clean the kitchen up will you please?"

"Need some air to clear your head? That's good, I mean you're still human after all" said the Youkai of Boundaries in a bored voice, tapping her finger on the table while her dark golden eyes glazed over at the departing boy.

Rook's hand hovered right above the doorknob. "I don't know what I am, but I am certainly not human, at least not anymore. And if you're going to pull an illusion such as this Yukari, I suggest you make it convincing. You're making me fall under the impression that you're losing your touch…."

The Gap Demon stared in shock as the boy left without as much as a glance back. A twisted smile curled upon the Youkai's lips, the right part of her cheek morphing into something indistinguishable for a moment before returning back to normal. A faint sinister giggling left the Youkai of Border's lips as the walls of the comfortable looking kitchen melted like hot wax, gathering unto the floor forming a thick purple liquid substance that began to fill the room. In a matter of seconds, Yukari was all alone within a dark oriental styled room with a single candle providing very little light.

Yukari lifted her right hand to eye level and studied it curiously as if seeing it for the first time in her life. Her hand no longer had the young fair skinned appearance it had earlier; in its place was an old pale wrinkled hand with long spider like fingers. At the back of its palm was a glaring red eye.

"A being that is neither human nor youkai… I think Abomination would be a suitable word to describe him..." For a split second, Yukari's right cheek became horribly disfigured, losing all humanly appearance from it for a mere second before returning once more into a beautiful face.  
"Although he'll never be more of an abomination than those around him, don't you think so my dear cute Shikigami?"

The Kitsune fell out of a gap made out of the thick purple substance similar to that of a maw of monstrous creature. A faint sound of mad laughter and a thick veil of black smoke managed to escape out of the gap, before it sealed itself shut.

Ran fell on all fours, breathing hard as she arrived on a one way trip from the void. The poor blonde fox was trembling as she felt the cold touch of the hard wooden floor beneath her. "Yu-Yukari-sama! What are you-"The fox was blasted into the wall by an invisible force and was kept hanging limply as her consciousness faded.

Yukari stood up from her chair and slowly made her way towards her shikigami that was suspended in mid air by a strong force the was gripping her arms. Ran paled as she caught sight of the Border Youkai's inhuman face and was struggling to find words to calm her angered master down.

With her smiled curled into a twisted smile, Yukari began to speak in her sweet, seductive, poisonous voice.  
"Now," she began, trying to maintain her composure, "don't think that I've let you off the hook just yet, Ran~"

"Wait Yukari-sama, I can explai-"

Ran was cut off as she lost her voice, while being slowly enveloped in the thick liquid pool that was on the floor. Yukari watched without a hint of mercy in her eyes as the purple liquid began to dissipate and disappear, leaving no trace of her shikigami behind.

"Seriously, both of you, you do know that discipline is the Yakumo family's policy and it applies to everyone" whispered the Gap Demon staring at the spot where Ran vanished. "Everyone, excluding Chen, she's just too cute"

Yukari glanced at her deformed hand and found that it was now back to normal. Smiling, she quickly opened a gap and entered it, humming to herself as she went in.

A normal day at the Yakumo household…

* * *

Rook watched as the new looking western style house melt back slowly into an old eerie abandoned building at the very edge of an equally abandoned village. The boy had no plans on walking that far from the Yakumo Residence, just a good afternoon stroll in an unnaturally empty, illusionary settlement to clear his head. The street before the boy was thick with a veil of mist that to this day, still has no definite origins. The boy stood right beside an antique gothic American lamppost which emitted a thin glow of white light as it struggled to brighten up the dark streets of the village. The village in which the boy was in was known as Mayohiga, the village that sits between the Boundary of Gensokyo and of the Outside. It was similar to that of a smaller Gensokyo, dark purple skies, a golden eye that hovered upon the illusionary heavens imitating the sun in illuminating the abandoned village it oversaw. The village contained a mix assortment of western and eastern style of architectural designs. Easterly made building dotted the settlement while there were some structures of Westerly descent lying around.

With the thick gray mist floating around, one would easily spot ghostlike apparitions dashing from one place to another. Other than that, and the cats, nothing else could be seen walking the streets the silent streets. The wind howled quietly as Rook arrived at the deserted town square. It seems that Mayohiga was made to somehow imitate the Human Village for the location of the village statues were exactly the same. While the Human Village that was built in Gensokyo had a monument dedicated to the Dragon God at the village square, the statue at Mayohiga resembled that of a woman dressed in nothing but a thick veil of smoke, making it appear as though she were wearing a long billowing robe. Behind her was what looked like wave of water ready to swallow her whole that also had dozens and dozens of human hands reaching out to her while she stands in a majestic manner similar to that of a queen, staring down on her subjects with cold eyes.

The woman had her hand extended; a small black bird perched upon it, while a large fox and small cat rested down at her feet. Typical of Yukari placing a statue of herself on the village square…. Then again, the village was hers and will be for a very long time. A vein throbbed on Rook's head as he thought of the woman's nerve. Not able to hold back his frustration any longer, he went towards the statue and gave it an ungrateful kick, while saying in an undertone "Lousy Gap Woman…"

Before he made his way deep into the heart of the village.

While deep within the village, the boy started his usual routine of inspecting the contents of the Japanese style houses for anyone who unluckily managed to enter Mayohiga by accident. Not surprisingly everything was still in good shape, only empty and abandoned. It was rare for both youkai and humans to enter Mayohiga without the escort of the Gap youkai's shikigami or the Gap youkai's tenant and return back into Gensokyo still sane or without leaving behind a bit of their sanity.

Mayohiga was an illusionary village, with an emphasis on _illusionary_. It can create apparitions and illusions that will best play tricks on one's mind. It can distort the way one's eyes perceive the surroundings of the person. There were times that the village looked just the way it was, empty, misty, and abandoned, while other times it was a similar to a location right out of a nightmare, it made no sense, terrifying, horrible, and just plain insane. Mayohiga was indeed a strange place to live in for it is a place where one's worst nightmares_ could_ come to life, other than that; it's just a creepy village with cats.

The dark slanted roofs of the deserted settlement were still in near pristine shape despite existing for so long. It was probably because of Mayohiga was right in the middle of the boundary, in a completely different space that it had no weather to affect the houses.

The village gave out a melancholic atmosphere as if a bad event took place within it. The village's history always piqued Rook's curiosity that he wanted to know what drove the previous settlers of this sad, beautiful village, but Yukari would only laugh once Rook asked her, as if he just uttered a hilarious joke, every damned time and she never gets tired of it.

His initial guess was that something purple, blonde and carried a pink parasol, strutted down the village street and gapped every villager to oblivion, leaving the village empty.  
Still did not explain the presence of the cats though.

Rook decided to think about the upcoming discussion he was going to have with Yukari. Wondering when he should begin, or how he was going to begin. The past has always been a sensitive subject to him for it held many things he wished to forget.

Those clear summer night on the road, the trouble he and the Scarlets got into, many memories… Both happy and unhappy ones. Yukari, as untrustworthy as she is would be able to give him a good advice if he told her the whole truth.

_Yukari giving out free advice? What the heck am I thinking?_ Mused Rook, shaking his head to get rid of the idea.

Okay, maybe scratching that thought aside would be wise.

Yukari must have known that Rook still had a lot to hide, so in return she left him with pieces of outdated information about the mansion during the times she was 'helping' him find it, leaving him always one step behind and in the dark since he too gave her fragmented information about himself. Even now she does not trust him completely, always having her shikigami tail him when he least expects it, which proved to be wise since she was acquiring bit by bit of information, piecing it together like a jigsaw puzzle within her sharp mind.

Rook sighed, he was never the honest type to begin with, and this whole monitored lifestyle for the past fifty years had been getting to his nerves. If only he was a bit truthful earlier he need not struggle like this.

"A lie that is covered up with another lie will beget the seed of doubt and distrust, which will eventually lead to turmoil and conflict that will be the cause of bonds being broken and death" he muttered sadly, "Seriously, who came up with that kind of philosophy?"

The boy finished inspecting the last houses at the heart of the village, and went to sit down on an empty crate that sat right beside a three storey house along with other wooden boxes. Rook closed his eyes for a moment, but once he opened them again he realized that the village was trying to distort his vision. The Japanese style houses were replaced by wooden huts made out of cookies and cream colored icing. The sky was crimson red, while a large Ferris wheel can be seen at the distance. A merry go round lit up and spun the moment Rook laid his eyes upon it. The faint sound of carnival music echoed throughout the candy village.

Rook turned his bored gaze to the person that was before him. Flandre stood in front of him with a wide smile on her face bearing an innocent expression while she holds the strings of the balloons she had behind her back. Rook's eyes trailed towards the balloons above the little vampire and identified them as the severed heads of Patchouli, Remilia, Meiling, Yukari, and Ran, all of their eyes glaring accusingly at the boy while their mouths moved as they attempted to talk. Blood seemed to water down their jaw as they glowered at the boy, yet Flandre only stood there with an innocent smile on her face that as time went on, grew more and more ominous.

"I'm sorry…" muttered the boy staring at Flandre straight in the eye, before closing his own once more and open them again.

The village was once again back to normal, empty and eerie, with no sign of the hallucination Rook experienced from before. Rook felt something soft and warm brush against his left leg, only to find a black cat with two tails dozing contently at his feet with a lunch box hanging on its mouth.

"Hello there Chen, it's nice to see you" greeted Rook, waking the cat from its peaceful sleep and stare at him with its coffee brown eyes. The cat arced its back before walking and facing the boy before setting down the lunch box at his feet. The cat meowed twice.

"Thank you" said Rook sincerely, then he took the lunch box and found a note attached to it. The cat observed as Rook read out the note which said:

_You forgot to pack your lunch, dear _

_Please take care of poor sweet Chen while I'm lecturing Ran._

_Be sure to come back home before dinner, sweetie!_

_Beautiful Young Stalker_

_ Yukari Yakumo_

"Who the hell is she? My mother?" hissed Rook, while throwing the crumpled paper note to the side. Chen only looked at him curiously tilting her head to her side.  
The agitated boy pinched the bridge of his nose and released a deep sigh, before requesting to the curious nekomata. "Please change into your human form; I need someone to talk to…"

The cat meowed once, and then strolled into an alley not far from where Rook was sitting. A few moments later a small girl in a thick red jacket and checkered short skirt, stepped out of the alley and skipped her way towards Rook. Her brown boots left puffs of dirt in the air with every step she took, while her messy brown hair bounced up and down as she got near. One of her cat ears had a golden earring attached, while the two black tails on her back arced forming a heart. The nekomata had a cheerful smile on her face that somehow radiated her childish aura.

The Yakumo Residence's cutest problem and Ran's shikigami, Chen.

She stops beside Rook and pats him on his shoulder, while smiling she says "Something wrong Rook-san?"

The boy was busy taking in the cat girl's unfamiliar clothing to form a proper reply. _Another change of outfit? _

"Did Yukari-sama and Rook-san fight again?" she asks once more, her ears drooping slightly, apparently worried. The poor kitty did not like fighting that much.

Rook raised an eyebrow. "What makes you see that?"

"It's because this morning, I heard you shouting and then came a bloodcurdling screams of pain and torture, as if someone was being fried deep down the Hell of Blazing Fires while still alive…" replied Chen sadly, her eyes fixed on the floor while she shuffled her feet.

Rook's face turned white as paper as the color was drained from his face. _This child's imagination is too wide for own good, one of these days she'll draw in trouble from it…  
_Rook shuddered at the thought of being electrocuted. A humiliating event that was, not that Yukari has not put him through worse; at least he managed to get some payback at Yukari.

"Ah, well you see here Chen," said Rook nervously, as he tried to find an excuse for the event that happened that morning, "me and Yukari were just rough housing as always and were playing a little game, yeah! A game of jokes! You see whoever laughs first, loses. Unfortunately I lost and laughed myself to hysterics"

He forced out a chuckle at the end if his sentence in an attempt to make his explanation into a half baked joke itself, however Chen did not seem to find his answer satisfying, let alone funny.

"But why was Rook-san's room wet?" Chen pressed on, "And just before I left Yukari-sama muttered something about Rook-san bed wetting himself, does he have to go 'training' like I do?"

Rook tried to maintain the smile that was on his face and restrain himself from marching back to Yukari and stick a lead pipe down her throat, but instead of doing so, he made a mental note that he had to strangle Yukari for this when he gets back home. The Hag was walking on thin ice.

_Dammit Yakumo!_ He cursed within his murderous thoughts, _what the hell have you been telling to an innocent child all this time!_

Innocent child, meaning fifty two years in youkai age, so the little kitty is still considered a child to youkai despite the fact that having the same age as a middle aged human. Unlike an average human being, a youkai has a longer life span depending on its species, however it is general knowledge that youkais tend to live longer than a human. Their life spans reach that of hundreds and hundreds of years, though in Chen's case, she is a relatively young youkai for her age of fifty two and still nowhere near her first century. Gensokyo which was a world teeming with supernatural beings is already common with long lived youkais residing within it. This world was paradise for youkai and humans after all that some youkais that have found the Outside very dangerous come and seek refuge within this world. The longer a youkai lives, the more powerful and dangerous it gets, however, as those attributes grow higher so does their arrogance and self confidence which always proved to be fatal for them as they underestimate a powerful monk.

Then again, despite the threat most youkais pose, others choose to side with the humans and work together to vanquish the evil youkais. This world was for _both_ youkais and humans which meant that somehow, even by a microscopic chance, both of them are meant to work together given the situation. Even though some youkais proved to be helpful and harmless, most humans do not fully trust them unless an event that will do so happens. Human are ungrateful beings, while youkais are an arrogant bunch, Rook was glad that somehow he was somewhere in between both. Yet that does not mean he was a Celestial or a hermit, no, he was different, unique… Maybe thinking about it was giving him a big head.

As was said earlier, youkais have longer life spans than human, meaning they age slower than humans and grow up slower, so their maturity and thinking capacity develop at an even sluggish pace. Rook always thought that Chen's level intelligence was close to that ice fairy's hollow brain, yet somehow she seems to be above average of that pest's level despite her company with the fairy's gang.

Rook had to thank Ran for giving the little kitty tutorial sessions that kept it from ending up the same as the stupid hag. The cat could even really understand sometimes.

"Now, now Chen" said Rook in a slightly stern tone, so as not to scare the cute kitty. "You must not believe what you hear from others so easily without finding out what really happened. It will cause you to misunderstand if you're not careful enough and it will eventually land you into trouble. Ran-sama doesn't like it when you get into trouble, right?"

"Yes, yes" agreed the nekomata bouncing enthusiastically up and down.

"Good, now don't follow bad influences like that lying good for nothing gap hag, who's so irresponsible and always gets me and Ran into trouble for no good reason and…" Rook trailed off muttering darkly as he recounted the unfortunate things he was forced to endure under the household of Yukari.

A gentle breeze howled passes the two, with the cat girl giving the boy an inquisitive stare.

"Um, what did you want to tell me Rook-san? Is there something wrong?" asked Chen all of a sudden, breaking the ice that was creeping about.  
Rook wiped off the dark look on his face and gave the cat girl a shining smile, while thinking, _curious kitty, you took the words right out of my mouth._ The smile disappears and he proceeds to stare at his dirt covered boots while releasing a deep sigh. _I can't discuss my problem with this kid, since she won't understand a word from it. Neither can I tell her about the mansion, since she has no idea of my search yet and it will raise many questions from her. If I do that she'll get involve, and Ran will have my ass by then. Safe question, then…_

"Hey Chen" grabbing the attention of the nekomata who was getting bored of his long silence. "Before I left on my trip, there was an incident at Makai that caused Gensokyo to flood with demon folk, right? I was wondering if Reimu managed to patch it up while I was gone"

Chen's eyes lit up, her cat ears standing as she said. "The Mystic Square incident?"

"So that's what it was called?" asked Rook.

Chen nodded. "Yes, it really got serious a few days after you left, Rook-san."

_Whoa, are you trying to indirectly blaming me for the incident getting intense right after I left?_ Thought the boy as Chen stared at him with her piercing brown eyes, causing him to force out a nervous chuckle.

"Reimu managed to solve it in the end, though it seemed that the big fight made her tired, and even then she had three companions with her, yet they still had a hard time! Me and Ran-sama think that Makai's goddess must be really, really strong!"

"Wow, a goddess? Reimu got herself in some really deep sh-…. Shopping debts, ehehe, that's right! Shopping debts!" snickered Rook, nervously while sweat drop appeared right above his brow. "She didn't need my help after all, huh? Guess the girl's growing up after all, old Genji would finally catch a break from that girl's demands, though I hope she also grows up maturely. We can't have a childish shrine maiden protecting these lands now can we? So, aside from the usual witch Kirisame, who were the other two that tagged along and replaced me? How did the incident end?"

"The flower youkai, Yuuka Kazami and the Hakurei shrine's resident Evil Spirit, Mima"

"The kind woman that loves sunflowers and the bipolar ghost?"

"Moving along," continued Chen taking a seat on a crate right next to Rook, looking virtually annoyed at his latter comment. "The flower youkai was out for the culprit's blood for having her flower field trampled by a multitude of demons, which she made quick work of with her awesome powers! Meanwhile, from what I've heard, the Evil Spirit was rumored to be good friend with Makai's goddess and proceeded to visit her during the time of the incident. They both joined Reimu (who was ticked off because she had no idea where you went and was forced to clean up the shrine herself after wild demons attacked it) and Marisa (who at the time was really excited to try out another weird spell after she lost her chance on trying it on me). The four of them teamed up and entered the demon's realm and beaten up whoever got in their way"

"Hmm, I missed out all the fun then. That description is definitely the shrine maiden of paradise. Don't those girls know of the term peaceful negotiations? I hear from the Outside that there is an eighty percent chance that it would lead to a bloodless understanding" suggested Rook, leaning his back on the wall while placing his arms behind his head. Chen gave him a disapproving look.

"How would you like to try that 'peaceful negotiations' talk the last time you walked into Ran-sama while she was changing" said the little kitty glaring at the boy next to her.

"Hey, I tried to talk her out of it, okay? Besides it was an accident, Yukari was at it again at that time, sadly I still got that undeserved slap…" muttered the boy, rubbing his right cheek with his hand. "So back to the topic, did Reimu even try considering that when I last told her about it?"

"She did actually," said Chen, looking above her with a thoughtful expression. "But during her fight, she found no way to convince Makai's goddess to listen. That's where they…. Went and used those big lasers that go off with loud noises…." The cat girl shuddered at the thought of the white hot beams of light tearing across the ground. "When Reimu found about the news of the forty six people that were eaten by the demons she just won't stand for peaceful methods anymore…" Chen lowered her eyes and stared at the ground while her whole body trembled as if she was about to cry.

Seeing this, Rook went to comfort the poor kitty. "Hey, you don't have to tell me about the nasty parts if it bothers you, but still… Forty six civilians… Maybe I shouldn't have left after all, and it was only three weeks ago…"

"A lot can happen within the span of three weeks, Rook" said a new voice accompanied by the soft tapping of feet that was nearing the two. "Four if you count the days you were unconscious"

"Ran-sama!" squealed the cat girl, her sad expression disappearing as though it never appeared as she began to skip towards her nine tailed mistress.

"CHEEEEEEENNN!" cried Ran in delight, as if she did not get to see her pet quite often. The two went on with their annoying exchange for a few seconds, while Rook resisted the urge to say something that would break the fluffy scene before him, and tried his best to ignore the mother-child love that the two were engaged now, consisting of more 'CHEEEEEEEENNN' and 'Ran-sama!'. Rook cracked a smile for these two managed to stay bright and shining even when living within an enclosed space inside Gensokyo with an irresponsible master.

Glancing at the fox's appearance raised the boy's eyebrows, when he saw that Ran seemed both tired and exhausted. The unmistakable smell of smoke is still present on her, though Chen does not seem to notice this. Ran probably got into Yukari's bad side again. Knowing that Yukari was mad about something sure was uncommon, while calming a cranky old hag without calling an angry shrine maiden and survive with only severe exhaustion proved to be even rarer. Usually, one would be severely traumatized if they were unlucky enough to cross Yukari's line. Well the line where she's is still mischievous and still passive aggressive.

Rook knew what he was thinking about, and he shuddered at the thought.

"So, where did Yukari send you this time?" he asked the fox, as he casually stared at the purple sky above them.

"The Garden of the Sun…" replied Ran in turn.

"I see, that explains why you smell like smoke, or did you have a bit of trouble with that immortal on the outskirts of the Human Village, eh?" said Rook, forcing to put another nervous chuckle. If both did happen, the experience was the opposite of good.

After a long uncomfortable silence, which made Chen stare back and forth at him and her rather interesting colleague, Ran decided to continue Chen's story. "Well going from where we left off," she started sitting in Chen's seat while said nekomata sat on her lap, "after the slaughter of the civilians and upon hearing the news, Reimu pursued solving the incident with renewed effort. The four heroines went deep into Makai and fought with an amazing display of strength and determination, I myself was surprised that the youkai and the spirit also fought their hardest, though it seemed that the goddess was too much even for them. The colossal battle went on for hours before end, destroying most of Makai's buildings and structures leaving thousands homeless and running wild. You couldn't imagine how devastated the previous inhabitants were when they had their homes crushed under the fight. Due to the goddess's rage, the realm almost blew apart as she let loose all of her divine powers, luckily, the four intruders managed to snap her back to her senses in the end, though it taxed them most of their powers and energy. Another surprising event was from what we heard from one of our informants was that the goddess wept at the sight at the land she has almost sentenced to Armageddon. It's very shocking how a simple demon tourism plan could go very, very wrong. Barely a day after the incident she requested an audience with Lady Yukari for a contract to be made for the sealing of the realm"

Rook had his lunch box open on his lap while he shoved one sandwich after another into his mouth contemplating the taste of Yukari's ham and cheese sandwich. The boy had always enjoyed the wide range of food that was available within the Yakumo household; however he always found comfort within western made food.

He chewed his sixth (and last) bread slice, and swallowed before commenting. "Seeing four of Gensokyo's most powerful individual band and work together to bring down a deity that has enough power to fight in par with them at the same time, I say Makai is going to have a huge drawback with the damage count and repairs, along with that failed tourism investment they made"

Ran nodded in agreement while patting top of a content of Chen's head. "Indeed. A century's worth of repairs and thousands of years of fortune and reputation built up, suddenly crushed by two humans and two youkais. It will be a very long time before Makai can stand on both of its feet once more"

Rook released a deep sigh and set his lunch box on a crate next to him. A dull pain right behind his eyes indicated that the village was trying to mess with him once more. Not bearing the annoying pain any longer, he decided to give it a chance and played along. Rook took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and after five seconds he opened them. Once more, he was no longer at the silent village with his companions but within the deepest chamber of a very, very large cave. The air felt damp and moist, almost convincing him that this illusion was real. Rook was sitting on what seemed like a large fallen rock in the midst of a wrecked marble building. There were no signs of life as he glanced around the ruined city, only catching sight of the dying orange flames that was left behind as an obvious sign of a battle. Over at the distance, Rook heard a woman's sad lament as she wept mournfully, accompanied by the distant sound of thunder.

After few more seconds, Rook was startled right out of his trance and out of the illusion, and was back once more within Mayohiga. The source of his shock was no other than Chen who failed to notice the boy's short mind trip. The little kitty seemed to have been talking for a short while with Ran as Rook's mind went to someplace else.

"Ran-sama, does the demon world even have feet to stand on?"Asked Chen, her black tails swaying left to right as she glanced up to her master with her large brown eyes.  
Hearing a familiar voice managed to ease his heavy heart from the village's illusion, yet he did raise an eyebrow and stare at Ran at the cat's question, not understanding it at first but stifled a laugh when he did.

_Hehehe, I love it when some young person does that. Their way of thinking is so simple that I'm jealous,_ thought Rook while keeping himself from laughing out loud.  
Meanwhile, Ran nervously tried to explain to her curious servant what she had meant to say earlier. "Uh, we-well… Yo-you see here Chen," stuttered the fox youkai as she attempted to find the right words, "I, uh, didn't mean a literal sense, but rather in a metaphorical one"

Ran let out a forced laugh and bad smile on her face, while beads of sweat formed right on her forehead.

"The sense that's present in your words dies little by little with every word you say" sniggered Rook who was unable to control his laughter anymore.

Ran glared deadly daggers at him and snarled. "It's a figure of speech, you son of a-"

"Tut, tut, tut" said Rook as he gestured at the innocent nekomata that was staring at them with glassy eyes and trembling lips. "We are in the presence of a pure soul. I better mind your language unless you want the kid to get any ideas"

Deep within her heart, Ran wanted nothing more than to strangle the boy with every bit of her youkai strength can give. Rook on the other hand was oblivious to the impending doom he was about to receive and just continued to grin widely.

"Ran sama? Is something wrong?" asked Chen, sensing her master's sudden discomfort.

Ran did not seem to hear Chen's words and was about to retaliate, but thought better of it and made a mental note to get back at Rook later that evening. She lowered her glare as it faded away and sighed deeply, and then went back to stroking Chen's head to calm herself.

"So, once the goddess calmed down, did she also pay for the damage here in Gensokyo as well?" Asked Rook, eager to continue the conversation so as to lighten the mood some more. "I mean a lot of people died and I know their life couldn't be repaid by just gold, so did the goddess do anything to carry some of the people's burden for them? Funeral expenses don't come in cheap you know"

"She did actually" replied Ran, though still looking angry at Rook's teasing earlier. "Just like everyone who causes an incident, Reimu makes sure that they pay for what they break in the form of sealing, gold, assistance, repentance and a whole lot of other things. Although this incident seemed to be more or less an exception. Seeing the goddess reduced to a pathetic state, Reimu may have felt a tiny speck of guilt form deep within for what she did to a youkai-"

"Wait! Reimu feel guilty about something? Is that even possible?" exclaimed Rook, cutting Ran off her dialogue.

"Humph, you make it sound like she's a cold hearted person. She's human after all of course she would feel pity! Even in her exhausted state, she didn't even hesitate offering her aid to the goddess in the restoration of the realm back to its former glory"

"There's a shocker"

"Sadly, the goddess refused her and her companions' aid, for it was probably the chance to save what's left of her broken pride. Now, just as I have said earlier, the goddess requested an audience with lady Yukari a few hours after the incident has ended. She proposed to us that the sealing of the gateway to Makai would prove to be the safest thing to do to ensure that no such incident shall happen again, which also led to a negotiation with Reimu for she will be the one to do the sealing. Unfortunately, our favorite shrine maiden greatly opposed the idea of the sealing, for from what I have heard from what she had said, Gensokyo will not be able to send assistance if someone would attack Makai in its weakened state, but the goddess pointed out that Gensokyo, or rather its people, will be sending more threats than help seeing that it were four individuals from Gensokyo that caused the damage to Makai. She also pointed out that some people from this world and would surely take advantage of the chaos that was brewing. To sum it up; the youkai and humans of Gensokyo, along with the demon folk in Makai are currently not in best terms and if the two realms will continue to interact badly with each other the worst case scenario would be a full scale war"

Rook stared wide eyed at his colleague's surprising conclusion and slowly lowered his gaze on the floor for he found it near impossible to believe. He has seen the two world wars of the Outside, and even participated in other small scale battles the past century and found that the prospect of a huge battle to erupt at any moment unnerved him. The possible scenario of the two armies of two different worlds battling to the death would be a land littered with bodies of thousands, and grass and woods tainted with the blood of more, and in reality, was indeed a frightening possibility with a horrible outcome.

This was not something one could easily laugh about.

"Ran-sama, war is about big fighting between two persons or places, right?" asked Chen after staying silent for so long.

Rook glanced at Ran, looking if she would answer or not.

"Isn't it bad?" added the nekomata.

Ran gave her a sad smile and said. "Yes, it's both a sad and bad thing. It's where people fight each other to no end. Many humans and youkai die because of it, they pass on leaving their families behind making them very sad. For all I know, I hope Gensokyo does not experience war, for it will make the land sad. You don't want your home to be sad, right?"

"I don't want home to be sad!" said Chen a youthful spark present within her eyes," I won't let something like that kind of thing happen! I'll be as strong as Ran-sama and Rook-san so that I can protect Gensokyo!"

Rook watched as Flandre stands on Chen's place and in an echoing voice she says. _"I won't let anyone hurt sister and brother! I'll be as strong as big sister Remi and big brother Rook so that I can protect both of you! And then, we will play aaalll day!"  
_Flandre's image began to fade as the illusion began to end.

The village was indeed messing with him for that was the third time this day. The boy ignored the hallucination and gave the cat girl a wide smile, while saying, "Of course you will and I'll make sure you do!"  
He then proceeded to punch the air above him to prove his point with the grin remaining on his face.

Yet even seeing Chen go into a fit of giggling, Rook could not help but feel hollow at what he had just said, for those were the exact same words he promised to Flandre years ago. It felt practiced and he did not feel any emotion within it. The words felt false, with no trace of sincerity in them, yet the cat girl did not seem to notice it. It was probably just all within his head.

Rook could not help but glance at Ran to see her reaction. He saw within her eyes the worry and concern she has for the young youkai before her. Given her age of nine hundred, the fox may have already seen her fair share of battles, and she did not like the idea as much as Rook did.

Just as Chen had said, he will not let such a thing happen. He would soon chop off an arm and leg than let an endless series of bloody battles invade this paradise. Gensokyo was his home now, and his arriving family. To ruin it would be the most shameful thing he could ever do.

Three tabby brown cats managed to catch Chen's attention and had her chase them into an alley, leaving Ran and Rook all alone. Both human and youkai released a heavy sigh at the same time before resuming their silence. Rook rested his arms across his chest, and looked at Ran from the corners of his eyes.  
"Something wrong, partner?" he asked casually.

"You know it's possible, you know?" replied the fox, placing her hands on her lap.

"What is?"

Ran sighed and did not answer the question immediately, and instead she said. "During the Mystic Square incident, five supply convoys of the Tengu were both destroyed and looted. Reports say that at least seven were injured, two missing and one dead as they were ambushed. From what the survivors say, the ones who led the ambush were the demons from Makai. Not surprisingly Lord Tenma was furious at what befell one of her people, and threatened to launch an attack against the demon realm. It took me days to calm her down and appease her of her rage, as I assured her that the situation was now back in control and that Reimu has finally solved the incident and is now leading the negotiations. Not long after that event, the Oni's marched right out of the underground, thus breaking the treaty that was laid upon the dwellers of below, and headed their way here complaining that Makai's demons had invaded the underground and kept on ruining every single party they had. It was if I didn't have any more problems already. They threatened to cause quite a ruckus with one of their parties if the problem wasn't solved, which took me six hours to make them content enough to forget about it. The list of complaints, blackmail, and threats are near endless. Not just from youkai, but fairies, ghost, spirits, beasts, humans, and almost all of Gensokyo were ready to fight a bloody brawl. If Reimu hadn't solved the incident the following day, I couldn't imagine the things that could happen if she hadn't!"

"Your point?" asked Rook, taking off one of his glove to clean his ears with his finger.

"My point is that the possibility of a battle between world has just risen to a hundredfold! I bet most of the youkai now are highly aggressive and will attack anyone mercilessly without hesitation if one would be stupid enough to enter their territory. You see, given my previous statements, the humans aren't the only ones affected by this whole ordeal and suffer casualties, but also youkais! The youkai population greatly exceeds that of humans and who knows what threat they would pose against the demons if aroused! The last thing we need now is an all youkai strike force headed towards Makai as we speak" finished Ran, looking very troubled at the revelation she had just given that was making her hyperventilate.

"Seriously, you're just burdening yourself with unnecessary worry. Seeing that Reimu's busy with the negotiations, I'll cover up for her and beat the crap out of anyone who gets in my way" said Rook with an annoyed expression on his face as he finished cleaning his right ear.

"If only it were that simple"

"With Yukari's help it will, sadly she's not the most reliable person around"

"Agreed"

Both human and youkai sighed in unison once more. Funny it seems that one moment peace reigns the day and in another, war breaks out of nowhere. Things just got serious, for a trigger that will set off the said war could go at anytime, and anywhere. A lot is at stake here, and aside from the two usual incident resolvers, these two here would be the only ones who will be able to stop it. Unfortunately it was not their job to do it; Ran had to serve her mistress' needs, while Rook had to run errands for Yukari here and there whenever Ran was busy. He only helped and intervened due to the incident resolvers' reckless decisions and naïve way of thinking, even though they carelessly put their lives on the line. Someone had to guide them somehow during their attempts to solve an incident to prevent them from dying in battle. They are after all still little girls, well, only two of them actually, while the other two were green haired hags but their minds' thinking capacity sometimes are that of a child. Even with two wise and aged youkai with them, though said youkais were unreliable and would sometimes be the source of the two incident resolvers misfortune, a cue for Rook or Ran's intervention, though mostly it was Rook's.

Babysitting an energetic, happy witch and a griping shrine maiden was anything but easy; Rook could actually feel Reimu's pet turtle's pain whenever he had to help out during an incident. Yukari laughed at the thought of him taking in the bullets that were meant for Reimu during the Phantasmagoria of a Dim Dream incident. She had no idea how tiring it was bypassing that stupid ship's defenses and diving in front of Reimu just in time for the bullet to hit. Sadly, that was only one of the countless times the boy had to do something crazy just to save Reimu and Marisa's sorry behind from danger.

If this stupid prospect of a war would indeed happen now when the shrine maiden is still under training, the workload would be unimaginable, and he still had other personal matters to think of, take the Magician as an example, Rook still needed a new plan to grind her into dust for good. Alas, Gensokyo had to come first out of everything except for Flandre.

The fox and the boy sat in silence for awhile, doing nothing but drown themselves within the confines of their mind as they listened to the ominous melody of the bizarre village's breeze. Almost nothing was heard save for the swishing of Ran's tails and the distant meows of the stray cats somewhere within the village.

"Ugh, this won't work at all…" said Ran all of a sudden, breaking the silence that was present with a sigh.

"Hm? Got anymore brain bugs in ya? Seriously, you think too much…" said Rook, staring up the purple sky once more.

"It's just about Chen…" admitted Ran, "I'm trying to figure out a way to keep her away from the fighting as far as possible, you know how she is right? She won't be able to handle the idea of me fighting for my life and killing people, I don't want her to see me as a murderer. Even now she's hesitant about eating human meat or anything that needs to be killed in order to be consumed, I'm afraid that it could lead to complications in the future. Surely Yukari-sama will have me and you fighting within the frontline by then, and poor Chen would be left all alone. I'm scared that I won't be able to protect her when the time comes, and you know that I can't do everything, right?"

Somehow, Rook felt familiar with the position Ran was currently in. Worrying and fearing for someone you cared for. Being worried about what was going to happen in the future and thinking whether you can stop it or not. In his case, Rook had already failed at that. He got kicked out of his home, was not able to control a spoiled vampire, Flandre went insane, and living with Yukari were his current rewards, which by all means; sucked pretty hard.

He knew how Ran was currently feeling and understood, yet he just did not want to admit it.

"Tell you what foxy," he began, adding a bit of irritation and annoyance in his tone. "You are the second most- wait; scratch that, the _third_ most annoying person I have ever met the past eight centuries of my miserable life! You're so god darned negative that it isn't funny anymore (not that it was), why do you have to go around bursting everyone's happy bubble, huh? You're right this isn't going to work… But still! You think too much! Lighten up damn it!"

Ran stared wide eyed at Rook's sudden outburst and was about to speak but thought better of it since the boy was now on a roll.

"Why can't you just enjoy life a bit while it lasts!" he continues, glaring at his partner beside him. "Last time you were worrying about the stupid weather that it was getting hot all of a sudden and that suddenly made you predict an upcoming apocalypse, and let's not forget a century ago when you thought that Gensokyo was going to be flooded and insisted that we built an Ark after Yukari read a story to you! You waste your time worrying over something that isn't really that important, and I'm the one telling you this you stupid fox, it will be your downfall! If you're worried about Chen then don't speak, act it out! Stay by her side and make the cat happy for as long as you can. If you keep up with this behavior then Chen would be the one who's going to start to worry and after that we'll have the whole domino effect rolling. Yukari would soon get herself a decent hobby than see you groveling over unnecessary things, we have pressing matters before us and we should take it seriously to keep it from happening. How will we function as a team, eh? How will we make things easier for Reimu's incident resolving?"

Ran snapped out of her reverie and glared at Rook.

"Function as a team, ha!" she sneered raising a finger at the boy. "You're the one who prefers to do things alone and tends to do things all by himself, thinking that you can handle all of the world's problems and burdens on your shoulders! Where were you during the Mystic Square incident, huh? Searching for that beloved mansion of yours where you left all alone with the extermination!"

"I was on vacation and I had no idea that it would happen on a bad time! Besides I had a leave and I asked for your permission!" argued Rook in defense.

"And so was I" roared Ran exposing her feral teeth. "I was supposed to guard you from doing anything stupid, right under Yukari-sama's direct orders, but you left me to deal with the problem ALONE!"

"I know I had some problems on my part, but get this; why in the name of the seven hells didn't that Gap Hag help you out? She could've at least provided-" Rook was cut short as he ducked to avoid a golden orb that erupted from Ran's palm.

"Don't you dare call Yukari-sama a hag again or you will surely get what you deserve, you equally irresponsible male! Besides, your absurd reason isn't even valid! I could've used your help back then, but noooooo you had other priorities in mind!" yelled the fox, her voice growing more and more inhuman with every word, her eyes changing into slits as she bared her sharp teeth.

Rook held his hands up as a gesture of surrendering. "I can give you five good solid reasons on why I ditched you on the forest of magic"

"Reasons, that's what you're always good at you silver tongued snake"

"Now that's just going too far"

Ran was about to retaliate and shout that he was a selfish, inconsiderate douche bag, when the tips of her two tailed hat moved. Usually that would mean that Ran's fox ears stood up.  
Meanwhile, at the back of Rook's mind was a faint buzzing noise that usually warned him of an incoming attack or an angry shrine maiden that was about to swing her gohei at him. Both human and youkai looked at each other in surprise and then turn their gaze at the same time at the object over at the horizon.

From their point of view, all they saw was a small black speck, headed towards them at high speed.

Rook sank back down on his crate and released a heavy sigh, while rubbing his head. "How about a truce for now and answer this: Is it something black and white, gold eyed and kleptomaniac?"

Ran stared at the speck that seemed to grow larger by the second, with her youkai eyes. After a few seconds, she too sighed. "I'm afraid so…"

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_Nicolas Note:_

_Hi there it's me again, currently working on a side project, expect it up in a few weeks._

_Bye~_


	7. Chapter 4: Brief Hello and Long Goodbyes

_Nicolas Note: Hm? What are you doing here? Read the story already!_

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**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**}** **{**_Normal_**} {**_Hard_**} _{__Lunatic_} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4, 1: Brief Hellos and Long Goodbyes**

**Year 2000**

**Date Unknown**

**2:49 Post-meridian**

**Cat Village, Mayohiga, Gensokyo**

* * *

The dull monotonous atmosphere suddenly turned into a tense one at the sight of the black speck headed towards Mayohiga at great speeds. Ran continued to stare at the figure that was slowly approaching her and her useless colleague; she began to notice that something was amiss or strange with the flight of the figure, for it gradually kept a steady rhythm of rising and falling in the air. It only seemed that it had trouble keeping itself aloft as it flew. The fox glanced at her partner who was now busy biting his fingernails on his ungloved hand as he too stared at the approaching visitor.

Rook busied himself with his task while pondering possible retorts and witty comebacks he could use if the 'advice' session he's going to have with Yukari goes awry. Every time he thought about it he could remember the images that night he infiltrated the mansion.

Flandre's twisted actions.

Patchouli's words.

Meiling's confusion.

And Remilia's hate.

All of their reactions affected his planning capability quite greatly causing doubt to rear its ugly head at him again as he thought up of another plan.

Maybe going back to the mansion was a bad idea after all…

He has succeeded in delivering the letter as Yukari's representative; however he failed to accomplish his mission as 'Rook', to make the two sisters and the guardian remember. It was his main purpose. His attempt was more or less a success for he has managed to help Flandre remember bits and pieces about her past, the same could be said about Meiling if the needed conditions are met.  
The boy bit his nail and tugged a bit too hard for it caused him to draw out blood yet he paid the pain no attention and continued to think harder.

_No, this won't do,_ he thought out angrily, _one step at a time, I can't rush my ideas like this for it would cost me greatly, I can't screw up now. I have to make them remember even just a tiny bit of fragments of memories once they arrive. Of course, I can't expect them to recall immediately after we've just met. This whole operation would've been a whole lot easier if not for Grandma Gappy and that Hotheaded Asthmatic Librarian._

Rook cursed under his breath, paying no mind to the figure that was headed.

"Um… Rook, there's probably something wrong with her." said Ran apprehensively, while not taking her eyes off the flying figure.

Rook glanced at her with a questioning expression yet it was obvious that he was distracted by his own thoughts. "Eh?"

A sudden boom made him gaze back at the figure in the sky as it left a faint trail of smoke from its behind. Both human and Kitsune watched as the figure came faster and grew bigger, slowly revealing the distinct shape of a human on a broomstick as it tore through the sky at a rapid speed while sinking lower and lower, losing altitude at an alarming rate.

A normal person would have found the 'human on broomstick' part an absurd sight, however the observers were anything but the outsider's definition of 'normal'.

"She's… " Ran's eyes widened and her tails swayed back and forth in anxiety. "GOING TO CRASH!"

"I can see that" said Rook nonchalantly showing no signs of worry, as if he were watching a very interesting development.

"She's going to crash _on_ us!" specified Ran, glaring at her colleague with mixed worry and anger in her eyes. "Hey!"

"Are you saying that I should do something about it?" snapped Rook with a scowl on his features.

"CATCH HER, YOU MORON!"

"Well, if you haven't noticed, FOR THE LOVE OF YUKARI'S BIKINI SHOTS, I CAN'T FREAKIN FLY, YOU NINE-BALL FOX!"

Ran snarled and grabbed Rook by the back of his neck before he can even protest, and threw him upwards with the use of her youkai strength. "Man up, you hypocrite!"

Rook landed and was sent sprawling at the very top of the Japanese style building he was under a few moments ago. It took a bit of his effort to balance himself on the steep rooftop, so as to prevent himself from falling over on the edge and go splat in the process. He struggled for a few minutes as he was about to have a heart attack finding himself at such a height, but soon found his footing which caused him to relax even for a bit. From the top of the building (about 15 to 20 feet of height) he could see about all of the abandoned houses of Mayohiga, save for some other buildings that were a bit taller than where he was right now. As he glanced below, he found Ran staring at the human bullet that was headed their way, not even caring if Rook somehow fell to his death.

Rook gritted his teeth and thought, _I'm going to get her for that… _But aloud he called, "I am not- Are you really sure about this?"

"Positive!" replied Ran," You may want to go a little bit higher, maybe you can catch her once she passes overhead!"

_Maybe? That doesn't sound reassuring, _mirrored the boy's mind. "Are you sure that this is good for my well being as person that can also be friggin hurt and die?" asked Rook, calling with his hands cupped around his mouth. "Wait, why am I doing this again? Why can't you do it yourself!"

"You're the most expendable person available!"

_Youkai. Never ever trust them or else you'll find yourself near the very top of a twenty foot tall building and fall…._ Thought Rook while looking at his partner below with a disapproving expression.

"Besides…" he heard Ran continue below, as she squinted her eyes to see the figure more clearly, "I can always heal you, you know? You're boundary between life and death is huge! You won't die from just a short fall like that"

Rook was about to state the obvious that he was only human, but Ran beat him to it as if she read his mind. "Thank you, Captain Obvious!" she said sarcastically without even looking at him.

"I didn't even say anything yet! And why don't you go get some haystacks to cushion my fall and prevent any unnecessary-"

"No time, here she comes!" cried Ran cutting off Rook's words.

Rook wasted no time in continuing the argument and immediately cut off the conversation as he broke into a sprint, reaching the foot of a small tower above the roof. When he finally reached his destination, he quickly leapt as high as he can and grabbed on a ledge, pulling himself up, cursing Ran for this unnecessary work of his. Once he was up on his feet, he ran once more and used the bright red decorative dragon statue as boost to increase his jump's height, grabbing the side of another ledge while in the air. Doing this kind of stunts reminded him of those suicide runs on the Outside called 'parkour', though maybe the stunt he was pulling now was a mix of this 'parkour', building climbing and playing tag with death. His heart rate increased and his breathing became shallow, while actually having a wide grin on his face as he finally reached the very top, and without even a second thought, he leapt of the twenty foot building with a smile on his face. The Idiot….

Not long after he jumped, he managed to hear the incoming human on broomstick say, "Oh crap the brakes, da ze! ", right before colliding with it in mid-air.

Rook's entire world spun into a blur of black, white and blonde, as he tumbled through the air at an uncomfortable manner, almost making him lose his lunch. Realizing where he was, he clasped his hand on his passenger's back and forced the side of its head below his chin, and then twisted his body in mid-air with his back facing the ground and his head elevated slightly so it won't crack open once he hits the ground, though he hoped that this precaution/suicide stunt would lessen the damage inflicted on his passenger as he took the brunt of the crash.

Not a moment after doing all of this, his back felt the jarring force the unforgiving earth, as he and his passenger made their landing. Every bit of oxygen that was within Rook's lungs was gone as the momentum of the fall made him and his passenger roll across the stone wrought streets, yet it was Rook who received most of the punishment so that the person he was carrying would not come to harm. As they rolled and rolled, the boy caught a glimpse of the wild broom crash landing on top of an abandoned house and from what his pain numbed ears heard, it broke something as it entered the house, more clean up for him by this thing ends. After five full revolutions, they finally came to a halt at the end of the main street.

Rook groaned at the dull pain at the back of his head, and the sensation of having a sack of rice dropped from a high place and into his stomach made his dull pain into a notorious pain. His back felt raw and painful, he just involuntarily skinned his back of nearly all of his skin, leaving a wide area of shallow cuts if one would check his back.

Fighting the annoying pain of being used as crash test dummy for a dummy itself, he managed to open his left eye just to see his left arm hang limply at his side, full of cuts and bruises as most of them looked pretty nasty, though good thing was (if it was good) he could not feel any pain from it for he was still numb in shock. Unfortunately, when he attempted to move it, he almost cursed out loud for he realized that the bones within were shattered, though the pieces were still inside his arm.

His back was screaming in protest as its sensitivity increased, almost making Rook cry out in pain as well, yet he held it back. Although it _was_ very hard to do so with the rough surface of the gravel filled street digging its way into his raw flesh behind his shirt. Great. His head was swimming; once again Rook is dead drunk from the pain.

Rook could hear the shallow breathing of his unknown passenger, as his right hand kept its head secured on his chest. For some odd reason he can taste something sweet and coppery within his mouth, he shuddered at the thought of biting off his tongue once again.

Knowing that some of his body parts are still intact, Rook let out a sigh of relief and turned his attention on to his passenger.

"Thank you for flying on air Chess Piece. We hope you enjoyed your near death experience as we just prevented you from going splat with your head cracked open, I hope we never see each other again. Thank You." he groaned sarcastically, the pain on his back getting to his head, influencing his words, yet he then fought of his stupid side and proceeded to ask, "Ugh, you okay buddy?"

Before the boy could realize what was going on, there was a sudden movement and the next thing he knew he was two slender looking hands slam themselves on the surface near both sides of his head. After glancing at the hands at his right side, he then turned his eyes upward just to see a blonde girl glowering at him with angry golden eyes with an equally angry expression. The girl carried with her the scent of a meadow filled with wild flowers, the calming aroma of the forest trees, and the unmistakable smell of burning cloth?

"You freakin knocked me out of the sky, and you ask me if I'm okay, ze?" shouted the girl furiously as spit flew out of her mouth. "You could've killed me you son of a— Mr. Rook? "She asks in the middle of her roll, blinking twice as she struggles to recognize the person beneath her.

"Why, that's a good way of saying thank you," grunted Rook, his face turning from blue to purple with a strained expression on his face before saying, "Get off me Marisa, you're kneeling on my… Father's…Inheritance…"

The girl, Marisa, uttered strangled yelp as she got off Rook, who rolled to his uninjured side with his good hand holding his stomach as he waited for the pain on his groin region to subside.

"Medic, Ran, where are you?" he groaned pathetically at the pain of his bone shattered arm and at the spear like piercing pain on his family jewels. Not soon after his call Ran arrived on the comical if not pitiful scene eight seconds later.

"Rook!" she exclaimed, landing next to her injured colleague,"You're fine!"

Marisa looked at her incredulously and asks "Does he look okay to you, ze?"

Ran ignored her and knelt beside the groaning boy. "Your arm" ordered the Kitsune, who seemed a bit _too_ composed at the situation at hand. Rook obeyed, groaning as Ran examined his broken arm.

"Next time you make me do a stunt like that again, I'm chopping one of your pretty tails off" threatened Rook, though he seemed too weak to even give the fox a glare.

"It's your fault since you didn't execute that skill of yours that renders you invincible for at least a few seconds" reprimanded the fox as she closed her eyes in concentration and pour a vast amount of energy into the boy, repairing his bones and sealing off minor injuries.

"And feel the weight of the pain all at once in a tight situation? Not a chance lady…" said Rook as he watched one of the fox's tails glow and fall limply to the ground with a soft inaudible thud. With the cold air adopting slowly a warm feeling, Rook wondered if Ran's strength originated from there or was it just a boost from being Yukari's shikigami.

Being known for her reputation as witch, Marisa gazed awe at Ran channeling her orange aura into the boy's arm without even straining herself. Even the witch herself was not capable of such a feat without exhausting herself later on.

When Ran finally relaxed and opened her eyes, Rook muttered thanks before standing up and approached Marisa who was still staring at the fox's work in amazement. On the other hand, the boy felt great and refreshed as if he just acquired a good night's sleep. His bones regenerated and his injuries on his back completely healed, yet even after Ran healed him, he still felt a bit angry at her for making him do all the dangerous work. After pushing aside some dark thoughts, Rook put his attention on the new girl before him.

The witch wore a stereotypical outfit of the Outside's definition of 'witch' complete with a large pointed hat that she held on her side. For some reason the girl seemed to have fought her way through a battlefield as she made her way to Mayohiga for her clothes were a mess. The faint burning smell Rook caught earlier came from her blackened white apron she had tied on her waist with a large burn on the left edge, her white short-sleeved blouse was weather beaten and dirty with a few flecks of dirt, while her black jumper was a mess.

She would have been a pretty girl with her golden eyes, slender fame, if not for her wild unlady like voice and tomboyish attitude she brazenly displays. Unfortunately, the Marisa right now was fidgeting with her hat, looking disheveled and distraught. Lucky for her, she managed to avoid crashing into the ground, thanks to Rook, with only a few cuts and bruises. Other than that, she looked fine. Her long mane of blonde hair that had a little braid in the side of her head tied by a little green ribbon seemed to smell like smoke too.

Rook was about to speak when his partner beat him to it.

"You better have a good explanation for this Kirisame! If you came here to pillage the village once again I will literally send you to hell, the hard way!" said Ran sternly, and when she finished Marisa started to explain at a rapid fire pace rendering most of her words unintelligible.

"'snowheretobeseen. It'sbeenhorrible! -"Marisa was cut short when Rook ran out of patience and started to shake the witch as if she were a rag doll.

"Okay, okay! Get to the friggin point already!" he snapped, grabbing Marisa's shoulder and frantically shook her, resisting the urge to clasp his hand around her neck and throttle her. "I didn't fall off a thirty foot tall building (A/N: this was his point of view XD) and saved your sorry neck from going splat, just to hear you babble nonsense! You know how I despise nonsense, now tell me what the heck is wrong!"

"Reimu! Reimu's in trouble!" snapped the witch.

Rook ceased shaking her after that, and silence crept upon them like ice. His face hardened while his eyes had a dangerous glint within them. Ran on the other hand, frowned upon the witch's words, her eyes also having that hostile glint within them and says "You better not be making this up, blonde witch. You have no idea on the amount of punishment you're facing, if you are only here to jest us"

"I'm telling the truth! Reimu is—"started the witch, but was cut off once more by Rook, whose expression was deadly serious and in an equally dangerous tone he spoke to his partner.

"Ran, get Chen out of here, raise the alarm and wake Yukari, I'll be meeting her at the shrine" said the boy with an unnatural coldness in his tone.

Without further ado, Ran disappeared off to find her little servant, while Rook faced the witch without even waiting for his partner's reply.

"Witch,"

Marisa flinched as the boy's attention was back on her. She stared at his eyes which earlier was calm and patient gray, yet now it was dark and stormy similar to that of an eye of a hurricane. Tiny tendrils of electricity coursed through his fingers as he began to address the witch.

"Retrieve your broom and get us out of here. Fill me in while we're travelling" ordered Rook in the same cold tone. Marisa swallowed and was about to call for her broom when Rook spoke again. "This better be good, witch" a twisted smile formed on his lips, the dangerous light within his eyes replaced by cruel amusement. "If not, then… Start praying… Now tell me who hurt our precious shrine maiden of paradise, eh?"

The flustered magician blew a very loud whistle into the air, before raising her left hand in which she caught a polished broomstick that appeared out of nowhere in particular. She released her grip on it as it hung on mid-air without anything supporting it from the bottom. Marisa mounted the front while Rook sat sideways behind her with one hand on the witch's shoulder in case he lost his balance. How does she fly on this thing without falling aside from gripping the broom's handle?

_Maybe that's a question for another time,_ thought the boy as he noticed that the broom was surprisingly long enough to accommodate two people, and was fully capable of holding their combined weight.

"You ready, ze?" asked Marisa for confirmation.

"Go" said Rook

The witch kicked off the ground and was soon soaring within the purple sky. The village below became smaller and smaller as they entered the remote region of Mayohiga, and after a few moments, cleared through the boundary that surrounded the illusionary village. Fresh air and the cool wind blowing past his face, Rook could feel the adrenaline rush through his veins. A fight was coming, and it was somewhere just over the horizon.

_Why do I feel a bit… Evil?_

* * *

After ten minutes or so, the hastily made duo were now flying at eighty miles per hour over the shady trees of the forest of magic, which seemed to glow a faint color of blue green in the fading light of day. With Mayohiga not far behind, Rook began to wonder what in the name of the seven hells was happening to get Marisa to urge her broom near its limit.

Rook was not afraid of heights or flying, having experience it quite a number of times even before his stupid stunt forty minutes ago, however it always felt strange for him levitating at a high speed on thin air with nothing solid to support you from falling to your death below. Almost every person in Gensokyo, save for the common human villager, that was capable of unique, supernatural abilities was at least able to fly on their own. To most youkais, flying was a natural ability that was easily acquired for them. Rook however, despite his unique abilities was unable to fly like some certain shrine maiden and the witch in front of him now. Flying needed magic, and magic was something he lacked.

He considers his control over electricity a skill, for it has merged with him and the energy required to use it was from within and not from an outside source such as mana, which was the main component needed to do magic. His ability was that the same of the manipulation of qi, only that the thing he manipulate is not life force, but something…. Entirely different, almost alien. This power however did not grant him the ability to control mana and along with that, magic, resulting to his issue of not being able to fly.

Due to his inability to fly, the boy is forced to fight all of his battles at a complete handicap seeing that most enemies here within this world of fantasy have the ability to fly. The only times he was able to travel through air was when he wills his body to become a thick curtain of mist, another skill that took years of practice to perfect after that mishap at the thirteen hundreds. However, even with that form, he was still unable to go far, for that form was not suited for travel. It was wise for him to stick on ground travel where he was most comfortable, and most likely to encounter problems….

After few moments of silence, Rook proceeded with his mid-flight interrogation of the witch who sat before him. Said witch seemed eager to disperse the information she held between her anxious lips just by looking at her face. Rook noticed Marisa tighten her grip around her broom's handle.

"Okay, spill it," ordered Rook, his tone stern yet that smile he had earlier was now absent. "What's happening to Reimu?"

Marisa seemed to hesitate for a few seconds as she thought up an answer. _Maybe I went too far teasing her earlier… Nah, she always pulls those stupid pranks on me, I just had to make sure she was serious that time. And it seems like she was,_ thought Rook as he waited for the witch's reply.

"I-I don't know exactly, but she's been acting really weird lately. Miss Mima and I have been noticing it for weeks, yet only now did Reimu somehow snap." said Marisa as she attempted to keep her focus on flying as fast she can, instead of bawling and crashing half way to the shrine.

Rook frowned at that. "Only now? When have you and your mentor been observing Reimu? When did the miko start acting strange? Why didn't you inform me of this earlier?"

"Miss Mima and I have been observing her for four weeks already right after the incident ended and when that goddess started visiting the shrine. As for informing you, Miss Mima didn't allow me to leave her side that time to go look for you, she was worried that if I left so suddenly, it will only raise Reimu's suspicion. We even made camp at the back of the shrine for good measure and Miss Mima said something about you being unreachable through mirror communication or any other way of contacting you using magic." explained the witch, urging her broom faster causing them to zip through the low clouds that hung above them.

Rook thought for a solid minute or so, before speaking.

"Your mentor, what does she think about this? Isn't it strange that Reimu started acting based on what you said so suddenly, and coincidentally right after the incident? And about that goddess…" he said thoughtfully, drowning himself in his own questions once more.

"Miss Mima has her own suspicions" said Marisa, keeping her eyes fixed on the horizon, "She's under the impression that Reimu was being possessed by another evil spirit during our short trip from Makai, yeah, yeah I know it's impossible, but Miss Mima pointed out that a foreign spirit will have an easier time possessing a person if they had a weak mind. It's possible that the spirit in question latched itself into Reimu moments right after the battle at Makai. And I completely understand for old Reimu screwing up, ze. The battle was both physically and mentally draining at the same time. Miss Mima told me that she was speaking from experience or whatever…"

"I think that's obvious considering the fact that she's a spirit herself. But what about the goddess? Does her frequent visit have anything to do with this?"

"That's another reason why we decided to camp outside the shrine. It's also one of Miss Mima's many suspicions. She thinks that the goddess may have had a hand in this, all the more reason why I wasn't allowed to leave her side just in case a battle breaks out. I don't know why Miss Mima is suddenly determined to guard the person she despises most, but I never really understood most of her reasons why she taught me magic in the first place anyway. She's always been a strange one; she probably wants to be the only one who gets to mess with Reimu and screw around her life?

"Has the goddess actually done anything in particular?"

"Not under our watch, she hasn't. We would've identified her mana's signature if she did, but the magic acting around Reimu was different, ze. To me, suspecting the goddess was out of the problem, but Miss Mima wouldn't drop it, da ze. Something big is going on here and was going to happen if we don't do anything! Old Red White has this negative aura seeping through her skin, though we play dumb and ignored it while studying it carefully at the same time. But man, the effects were unbearable, ze. I'm surprised that Reimu hasn't noticed it until now"

Rook was left in deep thought as Marisa finished her conclusion. The sun was glowing a bright color of orange as it slowly descended behind the mountain ranges of the west, which was the cue for evening to settle in. Up on the twilight of the sky, the brightest of the stars have begun to appear. Marisa gunned her broom across the seemingly endless trees of the forest of magic, with the wind howling past hers and Rook's ears.

"A shrine maiden possessed by an evil spirit will taint her purity, thus corrupting her communication with her shrine god" said Rook.

"Yeah, so?" asked Marisa as casually as she could though she sounded very worried.

"Reimu is the catalyst of the Hakurei goddess that keeps the barrier intact, right? But if the theory I had earlier was true, that the connection between the shrine maiden and the goddess is corrupted, or worse, cut loose, what will happen to the barrier?" replied Rook with a frown as he just noticed the forest's unnatural glow.

"You just had to say something, ze" said Marisa breaking her silence.

"What?"

"Look up" invited the witch.

Rook was puzzled for a moment, yet he followed her words anyway. When he did, his eyes grew wide, while his mouth hung agape as he lost his breath at the sight. "Well there's our problem"

The quiet evening was shattered by a deafening explosion followed by a great beam of yellow green light that was tearing across the landscape; however the one making the 'shattered' analogy literal was on the evening sky. Cracks similar to that of a vase on the verge of collapsing due to a high amount of pressure appeared upon the evening twilight. The cracks were increasing at a very rapid pace, threatening large pieces of debris to fall down to the earth.

"Incoming!" warned Marisa as she swiveled to avoid a large geyser that appeared in the middle of the forest, forcing Rook to tear away his gaze from the sky and look down below. Torrents of pressure filled water burst forth from the forest floor, uprooting trees, startling flocks of birds, while some unlucky youkai were thrown into the air as the ground beneath them exploded with bright blue green liquid with an immeasurable amount of force. Soon the whole forest was filled with twenty foot pillars of blue green water everywhere. Being in the air, the duo did not notice the large tremor that shook the land, which caused both youkais and fairies to panic.

"Go higher; it'll keep us out of the geyser's range!" suggested Rook, keeping a firm grip on the witch's shoulders. Marisa did not even reply for she urged her broom upward, causing her and Rook to skyrocket. The boy's grip tightened as they shot past a bank of clouds at the speed of a stealth jet, causing Marisa to wince at the increased pressure on her shoulders, yet making her chuckle at the thought of Rook's reaction. After two peeling seconds, the broom went back to its normal speed, giving the boy time to relax as he almost had a heart attack.

"High enough for ya, da ze?" asked Marisa as she smirked, risking a glance at her uncomfortable passenger. Rook swallowed hard and attempted to regain his bearings, the only things that floated within the confines of his mind were curses and swear words, things that he rarely releases so openly.

"Overkill much?" muttered the boy, resisting the urge of blasting the witch of her seat. "Next time… Could you pleas- **WATCH OUT!"**

Marisa hastily did a barrel roll in mid-air, as a piece of the sky almost killed them. The sudden roll rattled Rook's brain, distorting his vision for a few seconds for a few seconds until everything came back into focus, however he felt as if he was about to throw up his lunch. The boy could hear Marisa's loud snickering over the whistling of the wind.

"It's not nice to laugh on your elders, ugh. I'm eight centuries older than you witch…" grumbled Rook as his head buzzed in fatigue.

"Hehe, sorry gramps, you just don't look like it, hehe. Ohohoho, here comes more of them" said Marisa. And sure enough, the pieces of the barrier started to fall out in large numbers and sizes. Behind the collapsed pieces was a dark purple void similar to Yukari's world was revealed. Down below the ground, another yellow green beam tore through the land. It was only then that Rook noticed that it was a smaller version of Mima's spark.

The Twilight Spark.

"Mima's fighting Reimu, huh" said Rook through gritted teeth. The clean up for this was going to be a mess; he was going to have a word with that spirit after all this is done.

"Keeping Red White busy more like it, don't worry she won't play rough… I think… Well whatever, she did promise she won't kill Reimu" assured Marisa, knowing the history of bad blood of the Hakurei and of the evil spirit.

"Did you miss the fact that she was out for Reimu's blood once?" asked Rook, though Marisa ignored this and flew on.

The witch looped around two chunks of sky debris and dodged another three as she recovered. As time went on, the debris glowed an ominous shade of red, which the duo found very strange. The Hakurei shrine was just ahead, however as the both drew nearer, the more debris showered upon them.

"Tell you what, you drive, I shoot. It'll save you the trouble of looping" offered Rook, as he got sick of the swirling motion he was subjected to and the driver's bad attitude.

"What? But I wanted to drive shotgun" complained the witch, but nevertheless agreed as an orange bullet was shot from behind.

"Well poor you, we got company…" muttered Rook glaring at the clouds behind the broom.

"What is it?" asked Marisa keeping her focus on flying.

Rook raised his left arm to mid chest and after a second the arm was engulfed within tendrils of electricity. "Fairies…"

Not long after saying this, two dozen of child like little girls with wings were chasing them from behind, shooting waves after waves of bullets after the duo. At first they would appear as any small human child with wings, but upon closer inspection, they were not. They were much more mischievous and disaster prone than a normal human prankster what with their seemingly harmless abilities and their stubborn regenerative powers. Fairies cannot be killed no matter how one would try. They would only dissolve into puffs of smoke if you stab one in the heart and revive later on so they can stab you back. Due to the fact that the nature from where they are born from is preserved, they are more or less immortal in some sense. True they would die the moment you blast them, but they will soon revive after an hour or so and hunt you down. Somehow, their race is much more stubborn than that of humans, since they never back down from a fight even if it means dying again, and again, and again.

They are living examples of 'immortal pests'.

"Hard right!" shouted Rook over Marisa's ear, as he shot white lightning bolts at the fairies that sent out barrages of green and orange bullets all aimed at the duo. The wind howled and the witch did as she was told but not before yelling back at the boy. The wind was blowing too hard and rendered her words for naught, though Rook seemed to have noticed that he cannot hear her and asked.

"What the hell did you say?" he yelled aiming for a wavy haired fairy that had struck his face with a green bullet.

"SHARD AT NINE O' CLOCK!" screamed the witch pointing at large sky debris headed their way. Rook cursed under his breath, right before sending bright discharge of white electricity at the shard, causing it to explode into smaller pieces of glass. The sky was made of glass, who knew?

Marisa dodged five more shards that almost impaled them, while Rook had to work his aim since the chance of giving the fairies a direct hit is very slim while in mid-air and travelling at a very fast speed. The boy spreads his hand and aims at the general direction of the pests, which was right in the middle of a large dark cloud, before releasing a surge of invisible energy that caused lightning to burst forth from the surrounding clouds with a deafening roar.

Rook watched as the few fairies that were attacking them were struck by the lightning at strategic areas such as their hearts and their head. Other fairies merely exploded in contact with the raw stream of energy. However there are still some fairies that manage to avoid being caught to their electrical deaths and fly on to avenge their fallen sisters by shooting more bullets, which Rook was more than happy to return with a continuous stream of electricity.

"More shards on our three!" shouted Marisa after avoiding a shard from her left, forcing her to meet out a huge one at her right. Rook severed the connection with the stream of energy and focused his shots at the incoming debris. Once the shard exploded into tiny fragments, one little piece found its way into the boy's eye, causing him to howl in pain.

"Ow-ow–ow damn it hurts!" cried Rook through gritted teeth.

The sudden pain in his eye causing him to shoot a passing shard, which Marisa avoided, and cause it to explode right beside the witch who says "Watch it will ya, ze!"

"It's this stupid piece I got in my eye" winced the boy as he finally got the annoying fragment out. Even if the piece was out, the annoying pain from its entry still lingered within.

_I should've brought those goggles_, he thought grumpily keeping his right eye shut tight, though the damage was not as severe and will eventually heal over time, it still hurt like hell. A green blur narrowly missed his face, causing him to glare at the offender and say "Aha! So it was you who hit me, you little runt!"

A fairy with pink hair and a purple dress, yelped at the sight of a white lightning bolt hit her square in the face, before exploding into a thick veil of dust. The sight of the thorn on his side exploding into oblivion brought a smile to the boy's face, yet he winces at the pain of his eye.

This time it was Rook's turn to yelp as Marisa looped once more when two sky fragments crashed against each other, almost causing the boy to fall from his seat but miraculously managed to hold on. The sudden event caused the fairies to scatter, while the others were not so lucky and was caught in the crash, causing them to explode into dust.

"So how many were that?" asked Rook, staring at the glittering dust that was left behind by the fairies' deaths. "That was four, right? So there's four left?"

Marisa on the other hand gave no other reply than, "Death Fairies!" which caused Rook to groan at the sight of two red headed fairies in green dresses. These fairies were so far the largest of the flock, their size nearing to that of a ten year old child compared to the others which were the size of a five year old.

After three seconds upon their arrival, the Death Fairies began to fire hundreds and hundreds of red bullets on every single angle they could find with white bullets sealing off the gaps that appear between the red bullets that dispersed. Marisa was forced to slow down and weave through wave after wave of bullets while dodging the falling debris at the same time. One fairy fires the red and white bullets at machine gun pace, while the other relentlessly unleashed giant glowing orbs aimed straight towards the duo and at a very unfair speed too.

"Please tell me that you're not going to—**DAMMIT MARISA!**" yelled Rook, as the witch ignored his words and plunge straight into the chaos of flying bullets and orbs. The witch skillfully weaved and streamed through the lines of red projectiles and blue globes that were aimed at them while dodging the falling sky fragments that were still showering upon them.

"Once I get close, blast them, da ze!" said Marisa with a cocky smile on her face while Rook bore the expression of extreme irritation and annoyance.

"Why doesn't anyone for one second just listen to me? You're seriously enjoying this aren't you!" snarled Rook, to which Marisa only chuckled. The broom suddenly lurched forward and then back again, causing Rook to levitate for a second above his seat and back once more. The four fairies the boy mentioned earlier were also dodging and weaving through the Death Fairies' bullets while shooting at the duo at the same time.

Rook curses under his breath as he found out that they were in a bad situation. _Great, what do we do now? If this predicament continues, Marisa would have a hard time dodging all of those bullets at once and we'll soon crash and burn right before we can even get to the shrine. Damn, I can't shoot those pests behind us since we're moving around too much, and I won't be able to blast those Death Fairies because the driver's in front of me… I have to take out those idiots from afar since battling them at point blank range isn't wise. You know what they say; desperate times call for desperate measures._

The boy releases a deep sigh and slackens his grip on the witch's should and that of the broom's backside. Marisa looks back, only to see Rook slip off his seat and fall.

"You idiot, what the hell are you doing?" screams Marisa as her heart almost leapt to her throat seeing Rook grab the broom once more at the last second, however he was now hanging on by using one hand as he dangled below the flying broom.

"Doing another stupid stunt, now keep flying! I'll keep shooting!" he yelled back, grabbing the back end of the broom so that he can free his right hand and shoot the remaining fairies that were left. The boy unleashes another continuous stream of electricity at the unsuspecting fairy that was shooting a well patterned barrage of green bullets. As the lightning came in contact with the fairy, the electricity travels through its body and quickly aims itself at the fairy nearest to it, thus creating a chain hit, taking out two fairies at once.

Another smile spreads across Rook's face as he began to think. _I'm a lunatic, hehehe_

The broom suddenly jerked right, causing the boy to swing the same way too. "Hey watch it!" he snaps, only to use the momentum to sway again to avoid a red bullet that nearly hit his torso. Marisa was now nearing the Death Fairies where the bullets were denser as they spawned from the fairies' hands. Rook aimed his palm towards the fairy that was unleashing the blue globes and shot a quick bolt towards its direction, while from above he hears Marisa shout, "Narrow Spark!"

The next thing that happened was a narrow blue beam of light erupted from the witch's octagonal box and was headed straight for the fairy. The Death Fairies exploded in unison as both beam and bolt came in contact with their flesh, forcing the release of bullets to cease once and for all. The only thing that they had to worry about now was the sky fragments, which were still falling from above and impaling themselves down on the earth.

From below, Rook could hear the witch's ragged breathing, which somehow meant that she too was exhausted from the dodging as Rook was from the shooting. The shrine was just a few meters away, just another hundred meters and they will be-

_We're losing altitude…?_ thought Rook as he noticed that he and Marisa were sinking lower and lower from the air. He replaced his numb right arm and with his left, while risking a glance at the witch's status. "Hey, why are we lowering? The shrine is still a long way from here, hey!"

No response…

It was only then that Marisa's body leaned on front of the broom, with her hand hanging limply at the side. She has fainted. Rook's eyes widened and grabbed the witch by her ankle, while imbuing his hand with enough electricity to shock Marisa awake.

"Wha— who, where?" she asked wildly looking around, only to notice the pain that she had on her ankle, "Ouch! What the hell—"

"**SHARD!**" yelled Rook, just in time for Marisa to see the glint of the flat side of the sky fragment right before she went straight through it, causing it to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. The witch screamed in fright as small glassy debris showered upon her and her broom. The broom finally gave in, and finally started to fall due to the combined weight of two people and that of the strain it was put through earlier.

The duo managed to clear a few more trees before finally catching sight of the shrine and crashing down into the stone steps. Rook managed to land on his feet, right after tumbling a bit downward the steps while Marisa literally crash landed straight into the pavement.

Groaning, Rook managed to force himself on his feet and approach the semi conscious witch that lay on the tilted pavement. Something was off, right before they hit the ground, he failed to notice the presence of the evil spirit and that of the Hakurei maiden, he did not even see them fighting in front of the shrine. If they were not there, then where?

_One thought at a time, Rook. First heal the witch then go find Reimu…_ mirrored the boy's mind as he knelt beside Marisa's crumpled form and whispers, "Heal…"

Rook's hands soon emitted the same faint glow of white light as it did on the mansion, and began to heal the wide cut above the witch's brow which was bleeding slightly from the crash. He then began to lightly shake Marisa so that she would wake up.

"Hey, you still with me? Come on, we're here, we have to find your mentor and Reimu so that we can finish this thing" said Rook while giving Marisa a light shake on her shoulders. Rook glanced at the sky above. There were now large patches of purple in the evening sky where large chunks of the sky collapsed while the cracks continued to spread at a rapid pace. Not even the stone steps were spared from the fragments impaling themselves on it as they fell, crating many craters of various sizes. The thought of the humans within the Human Village running and screaming for their lives made Rook grit his teeth. The wind was singing an ominous melody that would easily put a person into a trance. The cold feel of the air and the sound of the rustling leaves, was this really the apocalypse?

The sky was now between the color of purple and orange, it was if the sun refused to descend until it has witnessed Gensokyo's supposed end.

Marisa's groans pulled Rook back into reality, making him realize that he did not have enough time left. "Wake up already" said the boy, giving the witch a gentle slap across her face.

Marisa sat up and blinked twice just to make sure that her eyes were working properly. "We're here?" she asked, staring up at Rook who held out his hand for her.

"Yeah, we're here, come on, we don't have much time" he replied, pulling the girl up on her feet, "Can you stand? Does it hurt anywhere? That fall looked nasty from my point of view"

"No, I'm okay" said the witch, twisting her wrists over to see the shallow damage on her skin. "Nothing I wouldn't be able to fix, ze" she continued giving the boy a thumbs up.

Rook nodded and gestured her to follow as he began to run up the stone steps, a single question running through his mind, blocking out all other thoughts: _What the hell is going on?_

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_Nicolas Notes: And another chapter come and goes, you guys probably wondering why I'm posting this despite the announcement I made, blah, blah , blah. Well to be honest, I was bored and had nothing better to do so here ya go an edited chapter fresh off the oven!_

_Heh, could you guys guess where I based Chen and Patchouli's costumes the past chapters? Should be easy enough for you guys to guess... Ahh well, see ya guys in a few weeks..._


	8. Chapter4: Brief Hello and Long Goodbye 2

_Nicolas Notes: Hehehehe, back again for more! I'm half way through the next update and I got a rather nasty writer's block in the middle of it, so I'm posting this baby to pass the time. _

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**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**}** **{**_Normal_**} {**_Hard_**} _{_**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {_Nightmare __Phantasm_}**

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**CHAPTER 4, 2: Brief Hellos and Long Goodbyes**

**Year 2000**

**7:56 Post-meridian**

**Hakurei Shrine, Before the Great Barrier, Gensokyo**

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Both Rook and Marisa have arrived at the Hakurei shrine only to find it hollow and empty. The wind kept howling by the barren shrine grounds as the duo passed under the red torii gate. It was weird, seeing the usual comfortable, cheerful shrine suddenly reduced into an abandoned building in a remote area of Gensokyo. Despite the run down look it had up close, the shrine was surprisingly well kept considering the fact that it has housed generations and generations of lazy shrine maidens who barely cleaned up.

Rook had only been away for a few weeks, and yet much has changed, or was the impending doom that was about to happen causing this?

The stone path leading to the shrine was windswept and littered with leaves. From the front yard, the sound of creaking wood from within the building could be heard as if it were about to fall off any moment. The dark roof was weather beaten but otherwise intact and durable. Due to this world being Gensokyo and the fact that the shrine maiden that dwells here is 'poor', the shrine is old fashioned and offers poor protection to the elements, causing it to be hot in the summer, wet in autumn, and freezing cold during winter.

_How are they alive after living through all of that? Maybe living in such harsh conditions keep the maidens in shape if a youkai suddenly shows up, it probably part of their training,_ thought Rook as he continued to survey the shrine that was void of life.

Walking across the stone path, with Marisa beside him, Rook made his way to the large donation box that sat on the cold wooden floor just above the steps that were made from the same material. Taking a peek inside the disappointingly empty donation, the boy reminds Marisa to stay alert. "Keep your eyes peeled; those two have to be here somewhere"

"Weird, they were demolishing the place when I left, but…. Everything's back to normal, repaired and new… " muttered the witch sitting on the shrine steps while examining her light injury.

Closing the donation box's lid, Rook noticed a new structure sitting right next to a large three a few paces away from the torii gate. "A dog house? Since when did Reimu get a-"

"Camp… Miss Mima insisted it" said Marisa grumpily, cutting off Rook's question.

"Well, it is Mima after all…" chuckled Rook over the nerve wrecking silence. The source of the chaos seems to be located here in the shrine and yet, there was no one here. No Reimu, no Mima, nothing… What happened to those beams earlier? The unnatural power that spread throughout the land causing geysers to burst out from nowhere and the sky to collapse. As much as Rook wanted to do something, all they had to do was wait, Yukari would be arriving soon and all he had to do was give enough time till she came. Only problem was, that the source of the problem was nowhere to be seen.

_**BOOM**_

A blur of blue and green crashed right in front of the shrine with so much force that the building itself rattled at the impact. The very moment the blur came in contact with the ground a thick veil of dust and dirt hovered in the air before clearing, revealing a human sized crater imbedded on the stone path.

A soft tap indicated Reimu Hakurei's arrival at the shrine entrance, her pretty face now dark and ominous as she radiated an equally sinister aura that seemed to weigh down Rook's limbs. Before the boy knew it, he was breathing heavily through his mouth, his heart beat sounding on his ears. Something was wrong, a cold creeping sensation spread throughout his arms as they were filled with goose bumps. The corruption was reaching its final stage, they had to work fast.

Reimu seems to have changed her outfit during the weeks Rook has disappeared. She now wore a customized miko outfit with her sleeves detached revealing her bare shoulders. A yellow ribbon is tied on her chest, while her hair is tied by another large ribbon at the back of her head as two red hair ornaments are tied at the sides of her face. Her long shiny black hair rippled in the harsh gust that has entered the shrine grounds, along with the white streamers of her purification rod that was held at her side.

The girl's eyes were blank and were devoid of emotion yet she radiated an aura of pure hate.

_No, this is wrong… This isn't Reimu; this is someone else,_ thought Rook through gritted teeth while Marisa called out to her friend. "Reimu, what the hell are you doing, ze?"

As a black and crimson aura envelope the corrupted miko, Rook could see that the hand that was holding her gohei was shaking within her grip. She was fighting back, but losing terribly. The black colored aura, which seemed to be made up of the same components as smoke, formed sharp pointed tentacles that surrounded the miko's feet. The crimson aura however was being emitted on Reimu's skin, giving them a bright scarlet glow.

"Marisa, stay back and give me cover fire, I'll try and talk to her, maybe break the-"

"NO, BOTH OF YOU STAY BACK, I GOT THIS!" shouted a voice that came from the crater, cutting off Rook's orders. Reimu's eyes flashed and slashed her gohei in an arc on the air, summoning what looked like a large golden shield that spun in mid-air with the symbol of ying and yang engraved on its middle, right before a grand beam of yellow and green erupted from the crater before her. Mima rose up into the air her ghostly tail and blue cape rippling in the wind, as she let loose a weakened version of her Twilight Spark at the Hakurei miko. Reimu's expression remains unfazed as she was subjected to the powerful attack, while Mima's face was full of strain as she did everything in her power to keep the beam alive.

"Miss Mima!" cried Marisa as she made an attempt of aiding her mentor by pulling out her hakkero, only to be stopped by Rook who held her by her collar. "Damn it let go of me!"

"She told you to stay, now stay!" snarled Rook keeping his eyes on the battle before him while keeping a firm grip on Marisa. The witch struggled for a moment only to gasp as she realized that the Evil Spirit was on the ropes. For a brief moment, Reimu has disappeared only to reappear right above the staggering Mima, before crashing down with a kick. Mima held out her arms in front of her to block the incoming attack, which caused Reimu to flip backwards as she saw that her attack was block.

The miko hovered in mid-air for moment as she willed the smoke like tendrils to lash out at the Evil Spirit, whom transformed her ghost tail into legs for a second so that she can dash to the side as she dodged the deadly tentacles. Tiny craters were formed on the area where the tentacles had missed the Evil Spirit, damaging the front yard greatly.

Reimu's feet uttered a loud tap as she landed back on the ground, before dashing towards the Evil Spirit who went out to meet her. As they drew nearer, Reimu was the first to respond with a fist, while Mima ducked as she came to a halt under Reimu's outstretched arm, twisting around, causing her blue dress to fly along as she delivered the miko a reverse kick. Reimu managed to lift her knee to prevent said kick from hitting her gut, which prompted her to reply with a hook from her left hand causing Mima to send out her own as she lowered her offending leg.

Both the miko's and the spirit's fists met in mid-air, which unleashed a tiny ring of force around the area. Once the contact was made, Reimu swung her purification rod while Mima intercepted the attack with her wand, making them look like they were crossing swords. Both of the girl's hairs flew as the wind blew harder while the air sung its lamenting song.

Both combatants swung their weapons once more, slashing and hacking one another with great vigor. Reimu's gohei was caught between the spirit's wand tip with its crescent shape, which prompted the spirit to twist her wrist and pull hard, causing the miko to be dragged along, however Reimu surprised Mima by giving her a head butt right before the spirit can knee her gut.

Mima lost her rhythm at that and did not even have the chance to defend herself as the miko's gohei struck her right cheek and sweep her off her legs, causing her to fall flat on the floor. Even with her opponent down incapacitated, Reimu raised her right foot and almost crushed Mima's head under it if not for the Evil Spirit rolling to her side, and transform her legs back into her ghost tail so that she could grab the miko by her ankle and knock her down as well. Reimu did not realize the Evil Spirit's plot until the moment that she too was on the ground.

Both miko and spirit stood up at the same time, but before Mima could even recover and find her balance on her ghost tail, Reimu willed one of the smoke tentacles towards Mima's neck, wrapping itself around the Evil Spirit's neck causing her to choke.

"No!" screamed Marisa as she was held back by Rook, who at the time had no idea what to do. _Think… Think… If this keeps up we would all be killed. Reimu's just too strong to take down the Vengeful Spirit and kick her around like that… There has to be a way on getting her back to her senses_

Back at the battle, the choking Mima summoned six tiny replica of herself through six circled pentagrams around her. "Get her!" she croaked, as the tiny Mimas cried out a squeaky battle cry before charging at the miko, however they did not get far for they were all shot down by charms and amulets that resonated from Reimu's hand.

Reimu glared at the Evil Spirit coldly and in an almost inaudible whisper she said. "Fantasy Seal"

Mima's eyes widened as she caught the miko's words and immediately growled only to falter as the tendril that bound her tightened around her neck. Reimu closed her eyes while large orbs of both black and crimson escaped from her chest, causing her smooth black hair to hover and the orbs to circle above her head, spinning fast and faster by the second.

The Evil Spirit struggled against her bonds, but too late, Reimu uttered the word of release and Mima could do nothing as the orbs of black and crimson came crashing down towards her. However, the burning sensation that she had braced herself for never came. The corrupted orbs disappeared as they neared three inches from her nose, giving her the sight of star bullets pelt Reimu from above.

When the barrage of star bullets finally came to a halt, Reimu wasted no time unleashing large ying yang orbs towards the offender. Mima watched as the black white orb almost hit Marisa who was on her broom as she dodged and weaved the incoming projectiles. When Reimu saw that Marisa was being kept busy, she turned her attention once more to Mima only to find Rook hacking off the tendrils that kept the Spirit in place with his arms that crackled with electricity.

Reimu sent out her charms and amulets homing towards the boy and spirit, yet all of her shots were knocked off the air as electricity traced from Rook's fingers and intercepted any charms of amulets headed their way.

"Our turn" muttered Rook as he willed his lightning to trace every single amulet that were coming towards them, which was pretty hard considering the amount of amulets Reimu unleashed. Rook immediately severed the electricity once all of the miko's charms were destroyed.

"Rook! Get out of the way!" yelled Marisa from above, grabbing her hakkero from underneath her hat and aim it towards Reimu. Rook instantly got the message and grabbed the Evil Spirit's arm, pulling her away from the area.

A wide magic circle appeared right in front of Marisa and began to spin faster and faster, its very center glowing as a small orb of blue light was formed growing ever larger as the circle began to spin. The witch braced herself and gripped her hakkero tight as the air around her began to hum. Reimu seemed to have recognized the attack and closed her eyes, muttering unintelligible words at a rapid pace.

"This'll hurt me more than it hurts you Reimu!" shouted the witch as the energy around her reached its peak. The miko gave no reply other than opening her eyes and glare coldly at the witch above.

"MASTERRRRR!" Screamed Marisa, thrusting her hakkero forward. "DUPLEX!" Yelled Reimu pointing her gohei at the witch.

"SPARRRRRKKKK!" "BARRIER!" both girls shouted in unison.

A grand beam of multicolored lights erupted from the witch's octagonal box, roaring its way towards the shrine maiden who has summoned an equally great barrier before her. The Master Spark rammed itself against Reimu's barrier in an attempt to blast her to oblivion. The shrine maiden stood steadfast as she saw that her barrier hold against the colossal assault while the witch poured every bit of her energy into the beam just as Mima had uttering a loud battle cry as she did to increase the beam's density.

The earth shook at the magnificent display of power, while the air hummed with the bountiful energy that was currently present.

_They've sure grown a lot, huh_, thought Rook as the sight before him took his breath away. _I have to stop them, or else they'll end up killing each other._

Rook turned his attention back at the rising spirit he set down beside a tree earlier. Mima struggled to hover on her ghost tail as she realized that her student was fighting her battle. The boy immediately went to her side as she was about to fall.

"Watch it," said Rook as he helped support the Spirit's weight, "You should take it easy, who knows how long you've been fighting"

Mima jerked her arm away from the boy and glare at him. "I have to help Marisa, she won't handle the shrine maiden alone"

"I know that, but do you really think that you can do much in that state?" asked Rook pointing at the Spirit's weakened condition.

"I'll manage" growled Mima before grunting in pain as her entire form turned translucent for a moment. "Damn it"

"I can't say I told you so" said Rook a he stared at the coughing spirit before him. "Come on, save your strength. We'll be needing it sooner than you think. Get some rest and once you recover you can join us, but for now I'll be taking your place"

Mima looked as though she was about to punch the boy in the face, yet found no strength to do so. Seeing that she didn't have any choice, she finally agreed. "Keep Marisa as far away as possible from all potential dangers got it? I know your style Rook, and I'm telling you that there's no reasoning with whatever's inside Reimu. Beating some sense into her would be the only way of snapping her back to normal, however it will require a large amount of power to do so and as you can see, I didn't have enough. There's a slim chance that you and Marisa would be able to do it, but once I recover we'll have a greater chance of returning the stupid girl back to her senses"

"So, we just need to stall until you recover, right?" asked Rook for confirmation.

"Stalling while attempting to beat Reimu to a pulp in hope that she'll return" specified Mima as a loud explosion was heard. "You need to hurry!"

"Understood, I'll handle things from here. Stay and rest" said the boy before heading off back to the shrine.

Once he reached the shrine grounds once more, he was met with the sight of Marisa on the ground with her broom smoldering at her side, her hat sporting a giant hole in it while her white apron reduced to charcoal black. Some parts of her black dress were still smoking while her hair seemed fine though the smell coming from it indicated that some of them burned off.

Reimu on the other hand had some parts of her dress torn while by some miracle, her left sleeve still hung on her arm considering the fact that it was ripped to shreds. Her large red ribbon has gone missing, causing her long hair to flow down her shoulders. Her face still had that cold ominous look on it as dirt was streaked across her right cheek.

"So finally back, da ze?" asked Marisa with her back facing him, she sounded amused despite the situation she was in? "I'll have to ask you to stay back, ze. I'll show you the reason why I'm called Reimu's rival, hehehe"

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Rook.

The witch turned to face him with a bright on her face. "Not just okay, but feeling really good! Stay back okay? Let Marisa have some of her share of the fun, ze!"

"Just don't get too cocky, and stay alert. Mima won't like it if you suffer brain damage from this" replied the boy, crossing his arms on his chest. "Five minutes Marisa or else the world's going to end!"

The witch chuckled, mounting her broom and taking off once more. Marisa came to a halt as Reimu hovered a few meters away from her, shooting her charms and amulets at a rapid pace. Marisa somersaulted in mid-air on her broom to avoid the incoming projectiles and fire her own. Marisa reached deep within her skirt pocket and throw five large pod looking objects into the air, exploding as they released many green magical bullets incased within them.

Reimu continued to shoot her piercing amulets at the witch, causing Marisa to flip around her broom lie an acrobat as she returned fire with lasers from her hakkero. Reimu ceased her next wave of bullets and flew straight towards Marisa; however the witch was simply too fast as she and the miko sky rocket towards the clouds.

Once she saw that they were high enough, Marisa severed the magic that made her broom fly and pointed the brush of said broom towards the miko behind below her with her hakkero at the brush's very tip, as it glowed a bright shade of red before letting loose a narrow stream of red laser. Reimu simply loops around the laser firing her ying yang orbs towards Marisa.

"Oh shit!" cursed the witch as she twisted her body and broom in mid-air to avoid being crushed by the large black and white orbs. Her hakkero back within her grasp and her broom flying once more, Marisa makes her way under Reimu and comes to a halt some twenty meters between the miko.

Once again both girls yell at each other.

"Hakurei Illusion!" shouts Reimu.

"Stardust Reverie!" yells Marisa.

Red seal tags began to circle five feet above Reimu while the gray seal tags were unleashed along with white bullets the size of snow balls. After a few seconds upon the gray seal's release, the red seals home their way towards Marisa's head.

Meanwhile at the witch's end, star shaped bullets of all sizes explode on every direction, forming no recognizable patter in their randomness. The only bullets that were easily identified were the blue and green star bullets that appeared on either side of Reimu in many diagonal rows in an attempt to restrain the miko of her movements.

However both attack's functions were greatly interrupted as seals and star bullets clashed against one another creating miniature explosion in the air. The waves of red seal were overwhelmed by a large yellow star bullet that exploded once hit by the other gray seals. Once the explosion has occurred, it created a chain reaction and made the other bullets and seals detonate as they flew.

Both girls were engulfed in the smoke that came from the blasts, hiding them from the lone spectator below. Rook watched as Marisa slowly descended right beside him coughing from the amount of smoke she had inhaled, before almost collapsing if Rook had not caught her.

Rook did not find any injury on the witch's person and once he made sure that there weren't, he patted Marisa's shoulder saying, "Five minutes are up, my turn"

Marisa laughed for a bit before saying, "Good luck, you'll need it, ze"

Rook cracked a smile and whispered, "Checkmate…" He then proceeded to sprint towards the recovering miko.

_I could feel it… The rush… It feels good, too bad I could only be invincible for a few minutes,_ he thought as the wind once again sung its sad lament. _Alright, let's go, go, go!_

Reimu only then realized what was happening and went to shoot Rook with her charms and amulets once more. Grinning, the boy did not even bother to dodge the incoming bullets as they stuck on his skin and clothes for he felt no pain. Rook charged his way through the volleys of burning seal tags and corrupted charms, while shrugging off the damage from the attacks effortlessly. He willed his feet to go faster, which caused his speed to increase to inhuman rates as well. Closing his eyes for a moment as he ran, Rook envisioned the miko's next moves as if predicting the future.

The boy opened his eyes and dodged an amulet that headed towards his face at the very last moment. The next second came and he was right before Reimu with his left arm raised. The miko fell for his feint and raised her right arm in defense, failing to see the kick that swept her off her feet.

Planting his right foot behind him as Reimu fell, Rook opened his hand and proceeded to grab the shrine maiden's neck, however he was met by the tip of Reimu's gohei on his gut, causing him to flinch and lose focus. Reimu rolled away as she recovered, and charge once again, swinging her gohei as she did.

Rook recovered almost immediately, and ducked letting the rod pass over his head and catching it before Reimu could swing back. Rook's gray eyes met with Reimu's corrupted red ones, before the shrine maiden lifted her gohei along with Rook's hand that was on it to create an opening. The black smoke infused palm that the shrine maiden was about to strike the boy with almost made a direct hit if not for Rook releasing the gohei at the last second and trap the smoking hand between his arms as he moved to his side.

To his surprise, Reimu formed a warped smile on her face before her hand exploded with evil energy, blowing the boy off his feet and causing him to fall flat on his back. His hands suddenly feeling heavy as lead and his heart beating rapidly, Rook did not even manage to get away as the miko grabbed him by his collar and lift him off his feet with her monstrous strength. One of the smokes like tentacles that formed below Reimu's feet, wrapped itself around Rook's leg, prompting Reimu to let go of his collar as he dangled by his feet.

Shaking his head back into focus, Rook had enough time to see that world around him turned upside down, before being tossed away like a doll. Feeling no pain from the crash, Room immediately got back to his feet and dash once more towards the miko who at a flick of her wrist summoned two more tendrils towards him. Rook leapt over the first tentacle's strike as it attempted to grab him by his ankle once more, however the second hit him square in the chest while he was in mid-air, sending him flying towards a tree.

Standing up, Rook dove to his side as a smoke tendril impaled itself on the tree where his head was moments ago. Gritting his teeth, the boy got to his feet as he ran, sending arcs of lightning towards the miko who once again shielded herself from the attack with a barrier.

Giving the shrine maiden no time to recover from summoning the barrier, Rook dashed his way towards Reimu once more, his hands clenched into fists imbued with crackling electricity.

"I'll crush that thing!" yelled Rook as he rammed his fist on the barrier, retracting his offending hand and sending out another. Sparks flew as he hammered his fists on the golden barrier in an attempt to break it, pouring more and more energy to his attacks. From behind the golden shield, the corrupted miko was anything but amused.

"Eat this!" snarled Rook, before turning around and delivering the barrier a swift reverse kick, with his heel in contact with the golden square. Sparks flew and electricity danced as the impact was made.

The possessed miko's eyes flashed and with a push of her monstrous strength using the barrier, Rook was sent flying towards the shrine. The boy crashed in a heap next to Marisa who was casually enjoying the fight with a pouch full of peanuts at her side.

"Impressive, ze, but it looks like you're done for" said the witch, chuckling as she ate a peanut. "Why don't you just sit back, relax, and give up"

"Heh, you're the last person I'll ever expect saying that" said Rook, as he stood up back on his feet. "Besides…"

"Hmm?"

"It ain't over till the fat man sings," snickered Rook, raising his right hand in the air, "Blitzkrieg…."

Reimu had time to look down on her feet as a magic circle lit up and surrounded her. Not a moment too soon the shrine maiden was struck not once, but ten times by a white bolt of lightning that erupted from above with a roar similar to that of the great Dragon's awakening.

Rook watched as the miko was struck again, and again, and again, and again, and again, before finally hearing Marisa chuckle.

"And who ever said that lightning doesn't strike twice, ze?" chortled the witch as she observed her best friend get hit by large amounts of raw energy.

"I don't know… Thanks by the way, for setting up those charges on the spot where I expected you to place them" said Rook, glancing at the witch beside him.

"Nah, don't sweat it, besides I always wanted to see Reimu's hair stand up from the shock, hehehe"

"Really? Some friend you are, aren't you a bit worried that she won't survive those bolts?"

"Reimu's a lot tougher than you expect, and so am I. I know that she'll survive that because she's Reimu after all!" boasted the witch with a bright glint in her eyes.

Rook blinked twice for a moment to understand what she just said, and found himself sniggering at her words.

"Hey, what's wrong!" asked Marisa with a frown on her face.

"Hehehe, you and your big mouth…" said Rook, pointing at the dust that was clearing over at the shrine's entrance.

Marisa sighs at the sight of Reimu with both of her arms out stretched underneath the protection of her new black barrier, which seemed to have protected her from the next lightning bolts that followed the second. Her red dress was now a mess compared to its state back in her fight with Marisa. The hem of her red dress now had a long tear on it while the ripped sleeve she had earlier on her arm was now reduced to ashes. Only a few streamers are left on her gohei, for the rest were burned off the initial attack of the lightning bolts. Her yellow ribbon was now missing along with the right side of her hair ornament, causing strands of her hair to hang loose.

Rook offers his hand to the witch, who gladly took it with a grin. Marisa dusted off the dirt on her dress, and putting on her hat while Rook took off his glove on his right hand studying it with great interest.

Reimu takes flight, causing her barrier to disappear, and glare coldly at the duo below her. She slashes her gohei in a wide arc in the air before raising it up again and gracefully places it before her chest with her eyes closed. Over the humming wind and the rustling weaves, Reimu's words were heard.

"Fantasy Heaven…."

The legendary Hakurei ying yang orbs appeared at either side of the chosen miko, before starting to revolve around her faster and faster they went until they became a blur of black and white. Nine glassy barriers formed themselves around the miko, and began to spin the opposite direction the orbs were going.

Both the boy and the witch sigh at the sight, for they have never expected the miko to go this far. Time was short and they didn't have all day.

With a grin the boy and the witch raised their hand/hakkero aiming towards at the shrine maiden before them.

"On three!" called Rook as he gathered as much electricity as he can into his hand.

"Sure!" said Marisa as she focused every drop of power she had recovered into her hakkero.

"One….!" Said Rook as the air around them once more began to hum with mana.

"Two Three!" cackled the witch under the blue glow of her forming beam. Rook almost slapped his face with his own hand just before he heard Marisa shouting.

"MASTERRRRR!" screamed Marisa.

"IMPERIAL!" yelled Rook.

"SPARK/BOLT!" both roared in unison. A rainbow colored beam of mass destruction followed by a stream of raw power, tore through the shrine's pavement and thundered its way towards the flying shrine maiden whose expression remain blank and cold at the sight of her impending doom.

Reimu gave no other reply other than a whisper. "Release…"

A colossal ring of force expanded from within the shrine maiden's body forming a titanic shockwave that collided with the mighty beam and powerful bolt, halting their progress of reaching and blasting Reimu away to the next kingdom.

Rook and Marisa fought against the blast from the Fantasy Heaven with all they had, managing to force an expression of discomfort to appear on the corrupted Reimu's face. However that was all they can do at the time. Both Rook and Marisa realized that their attacks were weakening and the same time they muttered. "Oh crap, you've got to be kidding me", before getting blasted themselves.

**Continue: 5?**

**{Y}/**_N_

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Rook opened his eyes to see that he was lying flat on his stomach with his head face the side. The effect of the 'Checkmate' was wearing off and he could feel the slight burning pain from the blast earlier. How long was he out? Has Gensokyo finally collapsed?

Pushing himself from the ground and kneeling on his left leg, he found his answer. Everything, save for the shrine and the wooden parts of the trees, were turned to ashes. The cherry trees that surrounded the shrine were leafless and had a dead look upon them. The ground was full of rock debris and burning stones. The sun has finally set and evening finally arrived, yet the sky still had purple patches on it and was still collapsing somewhat slowly now.

By looking at his side he found Marisa lying there unconscious, yet she seemed fine with a few scratch and scrapes on her arms and face. She was still alive, which sent a wave of relief wash over the boy, for Mima would never forgive him if Marisa had died. The spirit after all, was very creative when it came to torture.

It was not a few moments after that Rook realized that he cannot move his left arm as it hung limply at his side leading him to conclude that it was paralyzed. Placing his good arm over his injured one he began the healing process, repairing the damaged bones and veins that his simple magic could find.

"Ugh, damn… that took out quite a lot more than I expected" grunted Rook as he felt his last reserves of energy go dry. He experimentally move and twisted his left arm around to see if it was in good shape. Once he has confirmed that it was fine, he unsteadily stood up on both of his feet once more, looking around for the shrine maiden they had come to knock some sense into earlier.

And as if reading his mind, Reimu Hakurei once more appeared under the collapsing torii gate, with her gohei at hand. Dark root like veins began to creep from below Reimu's chest up to her neck, finally reaching the lower part of her left cheek. The strap of her right shoulder was now undone revealing a large part of her sarashi that was wrapped around her chest.

"Looks like we dealt some damage after all…" muttered Rook as he watched Reimu slash her gohei in an arc once more.

"Fantasy Heaven…" whispered the miko again, causing the Hakurei ying yang orbs to appear once more. Rook's eyes widened at the sight of the orbs circling Reimu as they picked up speed.

"Heh, you just don't know when to give up" said Rook, while chuckling nervously. _Damn, I don't think I'll be able to survive getting nuked again by that thing, what the hell do I do now?_

Rook ran to Marisa's side and began to shake her in attempt to wake her up. "Get up! Get up already!" Rook glanced at Reimu with her Fantasy Heaven reach its peak once again. The glassy barriers have appeared while the orbs continued spinning, glowing brighter and brighter.

Reimu opened her corrupted eyes and whispered "Release…"

"Not again…" sighed Rook as he braced himself for the shockwave. His heart almost leapt right out of his chest as he was tossed carelessly towards the cluster of dead trees by something strong, before hearing the infernal shockwave that knocked him out earlier.

Even if he was not directly hit by the ring of force, Rook felt a painful burning feeling spread throughout his body as if he were being cooked in a blazing furnace. He quickly dove behind a large rock that miraculously kept itself intact despite being subjected to the Hakurei clan's most powerful attack. Glancing to his right, he saw Mima hiding behind another rock with Marisa sleeping at her side. The Evil Spirit caught the boy's eye and quickly shouted over the roar of the wind.

"WHAT DO WE DO NOW?" she shouted, her long green hair rippling in the harsh gust.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, 'WHAT DO WE DO NOW'?" yelled Rook, bearing his teeth as to answer the spirit's stupid question.

"Do you have a plan? We have to stop this madness if you want to live!" screamed Mima in return.

"None that I know of! What the hell do you have in mind?" replied Rook.

"I have one, but it's crazy!" shouted Mima, the expression on her face showed that she was reluctant to do whatever she had in mind.

"Tell me what to do!" ordered Rook

"Cover me!"

Once the Fantasy Heaven subsided once more, Rook unleashed a wide stream of electricity that snaked their way through the air towards the miko who blocked the attack with a barrier and returned fire with her charms. Rook dashed to his side while maintaining the continuous stream of lightning erupting from his arms. His lightning traced the charms sent towards him, detonating them in mid-air before they can even hit Rook as he ran. Seeing that the miko was being kept busy by the boy, Mima ducked under the shots of seals and charms in order to get close to Reimu, however once she was about to near the shrine maiden, she was struck by a smoke tentacle sending the Evil Spirit sprawling on the ground.

Gritting her teeth at getting hit, Mima saw that Reimu had those corrupted red eyes on her as she focused on keeping Rook's attacks at bay. Rook took the moment of carelessness from Reimu, and severed the stream of electricity from his left hand, and send out five orbs of white light imbued with compressed energy towards the shrine maiden.

The shrine maiden did not have enough time to reinforce her barrier to withstand the explosive force from each of the white orbs as they detonated before her. Reimu was sent flying backwards only land on her feet as she recovered however that did not do much since Mima was already before her.

The Evil Spirit clamped a hand around the miko's delicate neck and summoned a blue magic circle around her and her captive.

"Dear spirit that resides within the heart of this pathetic little girl, heed my call and listen," says Mima in a sweet soothing voice letting go of the shrine maiden's stiff body, and playfully circle around it.

Rook runs towards the two and comes to a halt a few meters away from the spirit and miko. His hands crackling with power at the ready if ever the Spirit does anything funny.

Mima ignores this and continues to hover around the paralyzed maiden, the circle around her feet keeping her in place.

"Oh dear spirit, I tell you this, I possess what you seek. Oh yes, power and revenge is it not? Yes, I feel your hunger, your darkest desires and wishes. You wish to lay waste to those who murdered your family, you wish to make them pay and make them suffer, and sadly you died without even fulfilling your revenge. In order to vanquish the murderers you searched for power, only to die in the middle of your quest. Quite pitiable, however I can grant you your wish and give you anything you want. The lives of your most hated ones? I could serve them to you on a silver platter that is if you join me. Why not leave the girl's body to die? She has tasted your suffering and why not leave with me; I hold the power you wish for. Leave that pathetic girl and become one with me, a spirit, a form in which you have grown attached with, where you can unleash your full potential. Hear me dear spirit, hear me and we shall rule this land forever"

Rook watched as Mima repeated the last line over and over so many times that it began to ring within his head. The words had power within them almost making him fall into a trance. Power… He has yearned and desired for that before. He lost everything because of that power, why can't he get it now? It was right in front of him, the power to rule all….

The next sight brought Rook back to his senses, as he saw Reimu utter a painful scream as if she was being stabbed by a needle within her eye. Rook was about o charge at the spirit, but was thrown off his feet and sent back as a black ball of smoke escaped from within Reimu's jaws and utter a mournful wail. The ball of smoke bore the face of a crying woman as she sobbed and sobbed, shrieking at random moments causing Rook to cover his ears in pain.

_Banshee? No… this was different… The spirit?_ Thought Rook, as he held his hands over his ears.

Mima released Reimu and let her fall towards the ground, almost cracking her skull open if not for Rook who caught her the last moment. Once the miko was safely in his arms, he ran a few strides before setting the girl down far from both spirits.

Rook glanced back as he watched Mima spread her arms at her sides in a gesture of welcome, right before the spirit spun faster and faster, wrapping the Evil Spirit in a thick veil of smoke until she was no longer visible. Deep within the smoke, Mima opened her mouth and the spinning spirit dove into the Evil Spirit's jaw right as it shut tight. Mima's eyes glowed bright red for a moment before turning back to their usual blue.

Rook saw the Evil Spirit stretch her wide black wings, as her crescent tipped wand extend at her side. The light from the fading sun outlined the soft landing of the falling feathers that came from Mima's wings. The Evil Spirit had a blank expression on her face as she released a deep sigh.

The sky had stopped collapsing, the cracks ceased to increase. The wind has halted its sad song, while the roar of the geysers at the forest was no longer heard. Was it over?

"Mima!" shouted Rook as he watched the Evil Spirit fall to the ground with a thud, as she writhed in pain, clutching her stomach while her face bore an anguished expression. The boy had to duck in order to avoid getting hit by the Evil Spirit's large black wings as the flapped around.

"Hey, speak to me! What the hell is wrong with you? Are you hurt?" asked Rook, worry present in his tone, as he watched the Spirit grunt in pain.

"Rook…" said Mima, gasping as she regained her breathe as the pain of being pierce by a burning hot spear was still inside her stomach. "My knife… take it…" she continues, retrieving a twelve inch silver blade with a black handle from the folds of her dress. It looked like a simple knife with a very sharp edge, it looked like it was well cared for, since it was still in pristine condition and was gleaming to booth.

Rook seemed taken aback by the Spirit's request and asked with an incredulous expression on his face. "What the hell are you talking about? Why are you giving me your knife all of a sudden?"

"Wake Reimu… And use this to seal me… Please, hurry, this little bitch here realized that I've deceived her…. She's pretty strong so please… Hurry and wake Reimu… I don't have much time!" panted Mima as she clutched her chest.

Rook stared at the knife for a moment before Mima spoke once more. "I'm counting on you…"

The boy extended a hand and reached out for the knife, gripping it tightly between his fingers. "You sure about this?"

The spirit managed to crack a smile despite the pain she was feeling. "The only sure thing next to raising Marisa…"

Without another word, Rook made his way towards the sleeping Reimu who had a dreamy look on her face when Rook found her. The boy placed the knife to his side and knelt beside the miko, and proceeded to slap her gently across her face.

"Hey, Reimu-san, wake up! Come on, I need your help damn it!" said Rook as he increased the force of his slaps with every hit. After nine consecutive slaps, Rook imbued the last one with a tiny bit of electricity from his body and struck the girl while he snapped. "Wake up damn it!"

The shock from the electrical slap startled the miko awake. "Wha- where am I?" asked the now normal Hakurei miko as she looked around with a confused expression on her face. She immediately yelped at the sight of her shrine's grounds only to yelp again at the sight of Rook's scowling face, and finally scream in fright as she finally noticed her torn clothing.

"What the hell were you trying to do to me you-"started the miko, yet was met with another slap across the face cutting her off her dialogue.

"Reimu, it's me Rook. I need your help, this is an emergency. I'll explain everything later but now we have a lot of things to worry about than clothes" said Rook sternly and quickly pointed a finger at Mima.

Reimu's eyes widened at the sight of the once proud Spirit kneeling on the ground, turning transparent for a moment then back to solid in random intervals. "What happened to her? What happened to the shrine? I can feel the barrier collapsing and I have to maintain it now, but…"

"You were possessed by a spirit from Makai; it disturbed your connection with the Great Hakurei and caused all of this mess. If you got anyone to blame, blame it on the spirit that got you, lucky enough for us Mima…. Mima used her own form to coax that pest out, now she wants us to seal her permanently along with the spirit inside of her. As of now they're fighting for control, but I don't think that Mima would last that long against a spirit that's in par with her power, if not even greater. Worry about the barrier now or else we'll have to deal with another problem bigger than the last one"

"I see… Is this okay with her?"

"Yeah… Come on, let's go, we're losing time!"

Reimu nodded and set to work. The miko reached within her still intact skirt pocket and took out what looked like a white piece of chalk that somehow survived within the depths of Reimu's pocket as she was being attacked a few minutes earlier.

She tossed the chalk into the air, closes her eyes and mutters a brief prayer. The chalk hovered in mid-air and began to glow, not long after it began to radiate light, the chalk piece started to circle the Evil Spirit as it left a faint trace of dark gold light.

Mima flapped her wings as she struggle to keep the spirit within her chained. Her black feathers drifted in the air as the chalk circled her with the glowing traces that were left behind as it passed. The Evil Spirit was soon incased within a large orb made from the traces, while the miko began to perform a slow graceful dance with her gohei.

From Rook's perspective the display before was similar to a laser light show that he once watched from the Outside. He watched as Reimu twisted elegantly and land on the tip of her toes, bending down low so that what's left of her purification rod's streamers touch the ground, right before turning again like a ballerina. The boy watched the shrine maiden continue her strange dance in front of the orb of light made from thin strings of light in which the Evil Spirit was encased.

Reimu raised her hand and four seal tags shot out of her right sleeve, placing themselves at the four sides of the Evil Spirit as the chalk piece finished swirling around Mima and finally finished its final revolution by grinding itself along the ground, drawing a large circle on the floor.

From an aerial view, the golden threads of light formed a large ying yang orb that was within a large bronze square. Mima has finally relaxed her black wings and was now gasping for breath as she hovered in air on her ghost tail, watching the miko finish her ritual and finally stands still.

Reimu opens her eyes and stares back at Mima's.

"Hurry…" gasps the Spirit as it took all of her willpower to prevent herself from succumbing to the pain once more.

Rook walks to Reimu's side and says, "What's wrong? She's barely holding on, I think you should hurry"

"The next part is the tricky one" replies the shrine maiden, her eyes fixed on the Evil Spirit.

Rook steps right in front of the miko with his arms spread at his sides. "How so? Come on, Reimu, what do we now?"

The shrine maiden walks past the boy and kneels down to touch the glowing line of light on the ground. "In order to continue the sealing we have need a source of vast amounts of energy to seal two powerful spirits at once. Doing so without the necessary precautions would prove fatal; however I guess I'll have to take the risk"

Rook stared at her nonplussed and asked. "Just where do you think you'll find that kind of amount of power, look at the state you're in and just as you said this will prove fatal, who knows what'll happen"

"I'm sorry but this is my mess to clean up, Rook. It's my problem alone and I'll handle the consequences if there are any" said Reimu without looking back at the boy.

"Your consequences would greatly affect Gensokyo; this incident right now is a good example of the result of your carelessness back at Makai. Don't be reckless!" snapped Rook.

"It's my responsibility and I'll do everything in my power to prevent any disaster from occurring in this decision, you three have done enough" muttered the shrine maiden, gazing at the Spirit before her with pity in her eyes.

Rook gritted his teeth at the girl's choice. Within his own mind, he too was conflicted at the sudden turn of events. He lifted his hand to see the knife that was within in it and examine it for a moment. This was where they were supposed to seal Mima; however it would need Reimu to sacrifice an incredible amount energy.

Rook glared at the knife as he began to spread out his choices.

_What do I do now? I can't let her do this… She'll put Gensokyo at higher risks of being destroyed if she went on with this damnable solution of hers.  
_

_Maybe if I give her the knife and let her stab Mima, I'll be able to provide her the energy she needs to finally seal and end this stupid crap. If I do that just that, Gensokyo would be stabilized and Reimu doesn't have to sacrifice her strength, however there's no telling on how releasing so much of my power would affect me, and Mima would disappear…. I would lose all of the power that I've trained and harnessed over the past centuries, and now I'll throw it away just like that? No, it's a necessary loss…._

_Or…._

_I can let Reimu provide ME with the energy so that I can seal Mima myself. It would require only a tiny amount of her power and spiritual energy to perform the feat, however the risk stated earlier proves to be bothersome… Would I really sacrifice Reimu's power just so I can save my own? Heh, maybe I can…. I need everything I got when the time the mansion enters Gensokyo, yet I can't just let Reimu's power diminish… Yukari will have my neck…_

_Whose power is more important… Reimu's or Mine?_

Rook snapped himself out of his trance and placed a hand on the shrine maiden's shoulder. Reimu turned around with a questioning look on her face. Rook stuffed the hilt of the knife into her hand and said in a resolute tone. "I'll give you everything I got, no buts or rejections, am I clear?"

**{'GOOD' GAUGE INCREASE!}**

Reimu opened her mouth to protest, yet she seemed to have lost her voice and closed it as she realized it was no use arguing with Rook. The young shrine maiden nodded, which caused the boy to crack a smile as he watched the girl run towards the golden sphere of threads and come to a halt before it.

Rook walked towards the very edge of the sealing circle on the floor and places his right palm on a line. "I just channel my power, right?"

"Yes" replied Reimu, her hand gripping the handle of the knife tightly.

_What a pain… I'm sure that I'll regret this later…._ Thought the boy, yet he donned a grin on his lips and said. "Alright then, let's party!"  
A powerful electrical discharge left Rook's right palm and surge through the golden lines on the cold stone floor, turning them bright white the same color as his lightning bolts. The arcs of lightning crackled with life as they danced chaotically through the air. The electricity traced their way towards the knife on Reimu's hand, causing it to be enveloped in high charges of electrical energy all without frying the shrine maiden's hand. Reimu lifted her hand to see the crackling knife within her grasp, as her heart beats rapidly in fear that she would have her hand cooked. Somehow by some miracle, no such unfortunate event happened and all she felt in her palm was a ticklish sensation spread through her arm, causing the hair on her arms to stand on end.

The electricity that imbued the knife with so much energy was connected by a long stream of lightning that originated from Rook.

"Feels good doesn't it?" mused the boy as he pumped as much power as he can. The air began possess the faint metallic scent of ozone, as if another stray lightning would strike the area. The energy filled white tendrils circled the orb of golden threads and that of the sealing circle, incasing it in a cage of white lightning.

"Ngh, go Reimu!" yelled Rook over the crackles of electricity. The shrine maiden nodded without looking back at him. She immediately approached the golden sphere, which unraveled itself as she came close revealing the pained Evil Spirit within.

Mima opened her eyes to see who has entered her sphere and raised her eyebrows in mock surprise as Reimu stood before her. Mima's wings were relaxed at her sides as they covered the front part of her body, as if she were hiding her entire being, similar to that of a seraph.

The Evil Spirit seemed amused at the sight of the shrine maiden in front of her for a wide playful grin appeared upon her face. However here eyes bore behind them the heavy sadness that she kept suppressed in order for her to focus on her task on keeping the foreign spirit within her from breaking through. It seems like she too was having second thoughts on the decision she has made.

"Well, well, well of all people it just had to be you…" giggled Mima, "Come now, just one quick stab and it's all over, you've been wanting to do this the whole time right? Finally having the chance to seal me for good, to the point that I won't be able to come back… Don't give me that face girl, I am the all powerful Mima, I have no use for your pity or your tears… So… May I ask…? Why are you crying, Hakurei?"

Reimu shook her head and wiped the hot tears that trickled down her eyes with her forearm. "I'm not crying! It's just… I'm not a killer! I'm a shrine maiden; I'm not supposed to do this! Why can't you just kill yourself and be done with this! Why does it have to be me!"

On the outside, Rook heard everything and it seems like he _was_ going to regret this. _I knew this was a bad idea… She's still a kid after all; she's not used to this part of the job yet… _

Mima's giggle soon became a hearty laughter, as if she was laughing so hard that her insides were hurting. She laughed and laughed until Reimu shouted that she was crazy, laughing at a situation like this, when she was about to be sealed forever…

Finally the Evil Spirit held back her laughter and sighed, wincing as half of her being held back the raging spirit she began to host. "Ahh, humans… So imperfect with you and your emotions… This is the reason why your kind never really did attain enlightenment unlike us spirits. We are not bound by the shackles of emotions so… more or less you can call us perfect in some sense, if only not for our carefree and reckless nature… Why was it you Reimu? It's because it is your responsibility…. Your responsibility to keep this pathetic backwater world safe from all powerful deities like me and that which resides within. You have a long way to go Hakurei, and by sealing me you will gain a large amount of experience that may be of use to you in the coming years… You will make more important decisions, decisions that will not just affect this world but that also of the Outside… However you are still human and a child, you will make mistakes that will sometimes leave you hugging your knees in the darkest corner of your shrine, and you still have your limits and weaknesses that will surely be your downfall in the future…"

"Wha-What are saying?" asked Reimu with a scowl on her face.

"What I'm trying to tell you is… Gensokyo _will_ fall... Surely you haven't forgotten the reason for my existence no? I still haven't got my revenge upon humanity for the sins they have committed… There are others who wish for this world's destruction other than me, so I ask you to stay alert for there will come a time in which the apocalypse _will_ happen, and there will be no one able to stop it, not Rook, not Marisa, and not even you… So until that day comes, put your life on the line in order to prevent this world's premature destruction, okay?" said Mima with one last cocky grin on her face.

Reimu gritted her teeth and gripped her knife, before growling. "I hate you… What will I say to Marisa?"

"Oh my, well I hate you too Reimu-chan! And Marisa?" asked the Spirit as if it were not important for her to leave a final message for her student. "Tell her to be a good girl and that I'll be always watching her when she least expects it! There isn't really that much that I could say to her anyway, tell her that I said goodbye…"

Reimu lowered her head and sighed. "This will only hurt a little… Trust me…"

"You're the last person I'm ever going to trust, Hakurei" chuckled the Spirit as Reimu entered her wings' embrace. "Please hurry and end my torment…"

Reimu pulled back her right arm and drove the energy filled knife into Mima's gut. Both Rook and Mima's eyes widened as the contact was made. The Evil Spirit's jaw opened and spread her wings as she felt the burning flow of energy enter her, while Rook grunted as his power finally connected to its destination. The wind howled as the sealing took place. Rook had to squint his eyes to prevent them from being temporarily blinded by the bright light from his own lightning and that of the dark glow that came from the sphere that had two black wings piercing its roof.

The boy's insides began to burn while his head started to spin so much that he had the urge to throw up, yet he held it back for there are more pressing matters at hand. He gritted his teeth and steeled himself, however the task he was subjected to right now prove to be nauseating. Rook's eyes somehow adjusted to the bright light and saw that his white lightning was beginning to turn into a darker shade of white until it finally turned blue.

_No, what the hell is going on?_ He thought wide eyed as he felt his grip on his power loosen. His hands felt heavier and his breathing shallower, he wanted it to stop yet he cannot, he had to keep going, he had to help Reimu or else everything he did was for nothing. From inside the sphere he heard a horrible wail sound similar to that of a banshee's making the hair on his arms stand on end, however his skin turned cold as he heard Reimu's frightful yelp.

Rook watched as a thick ball of smoke rose up into the air with a horrible shriek, before diving back into the golden sphere once more.

Reimu watched as the foreign spirit was sucked into the electrified knife with a terrifying scream as if it were being tortured by a thousand needles being sewn into its physical skin. The shrine maiden's hands trembled at the amount of power the knife was receiving, which caused her to lose her grip for a moment. The girl's eyes bore within them an intense burning determination the moment the Evil Spirit caught sight of them. The Spirit's blue eyes and the maiden's brown ones met for a fraction of a second right before Mima's form began to change into transparency. The Evil Spirit smiled and waved her hand one last time before finally disappearing.

A hint of red flashed within Mima's eyes just as she vanished.

"It's over…" whispered Reimu, over the loud crackles of the electricity around her. "Rook, it's over!"

She stared on the same spot where Mima disappeared with her mouth still hanging in shock, watching as the golden sphere disappear leaving no trace of the Evil Spirit behind but the scattered remains of Mima's black feathers on the air and ground.

The shrine maiden took two tentative steps backwards with Mima's knife on her side, still brimming with raw power. She was about to faint right there until she heard the pained screams of Rook from her back which broke her out of her trance.

"No…" she whispered, the knife on her hand falling in the floor.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" came Rook's voice as he kneeled on the floor with his hands spread on his sides. The boy's eyes were filled with shining blue light, erasing all traces of his pupils and irises, making them glow dangerously bright. Gritting his teeth he began to cringe in pain as he held his head down, lifting his hand right in front of him just to see it smoke and smolder. He screamed once more, letting loose long tendrils of electricity all around him.

"Guk, ngh, damn it…" he growled as he struggled to regain control of his power. "Too much… it took too much….."

Reimu started to run to his side, only to be blown back by a stray arc of electricity sending her flat on her back on the ground with a yelp.

"Don't come any closer, I could hurt you without knowing…" warned the boy while keeping his left eye shut.

"It's over now! Cut off the connection!" yelled Reimu as she stood back on her feet

"I can't… the sealing… ugh" Rook faltered when his knees finally gave way, causing him to fall face first on the ground. Lightning danced and arced as the boy began to lose hold of his consciousness. The sky rumbled from above, when thunderbolts suddenly began to rain down the half destroyed shrine with the force of artillery shells. Reimu screamed in fright as she skipped around while dodging the bolts at the last second, Rook wanted to help her yet he cannot.

_Damn, if this keeps up that knife will sap me of all of my power until it has nothing left to drain until to the point it starts draining me of my life force too…. Worst case scenario other than dying is I'll be left as an empty shell, now I get the feeling that the experience would be anything but pleasant… Come on Rook, fight…. Man up and get back on your feet… Ugh, what do I do now?_

_**Would you like some assistance with that? **_Rung a cool female voice within the depths of Rook's mind.

Right before the boy could even register what just happened to him, his body started to feel warm as a wave of comforting heat soothed his tired muscles from the pain before. Breathing deeply for the first time since the last ten minutes, Rook watched as the remainders of his powers were sucked into the knife in a bright flash of blue light.

_Was that…. Mima's voice?_ Thought Rook with his eyes wide at the realization. _No, I must be hearing things…. She's gone, there's no way she could reach to us now in her current state… You did the right thing Rook…_

Standing up, he immediately turned his gaze on the shrine maiden not far from him. Reimu was still a mess in her clothes; however she seemed fine though a little shaken. Rook lowered his gaze to his palm and attempted to summon some of his electricity. "Huh?" he whispered in disbelief, for nothing came out of his hand, not even a spark. Rook increased his will to summon his electricity; however it took him four tries to finally conjure a tiny spark.

"I won't be able to power a light bulb with this…" he continued, his face beginning to show some strain as he forced the tiny blue spark on his hand to live for little longer. Finally pushing his mind to its limit, Rook's right leg gave way forcing him to kneel on one leg. Reimu was alerted by this and quickly came to his side.

"Hey are you okay?" asked the shrine maiden with concern in her eyes.

"Gone… It's all gone…" muttered Rook in a bitter tone.

"What are saying?" questioned Reimu once more.

"To put it simply, my powers are gone…" said Rook nonchalantly, as he raised his left hand to eye level and began to twist it around curiously.

What little color Reimu regained the past few minutes disappeared, as her face began to pale at the boy's words. "Then… that means…"

"I'm leaning closer to being human than what I was before…" said Rook as if he were speaking of the bland flavor of the tea he just drank, instead of losing the power he worked so hard for all in the span of six minutes without him even realizing it.

He placed his right hand on the cut on Reimu's elbow and muttered the same words of healing he applied to Marisa earlier. As expected the light began to glow, however this time, it was now a faint shade of blue instead of white and was now glowing fainter than before.

Reimu jerked her arm away from the boy's hand and stare at him with her worried eyes. "Hey stop it! You need your strength so please don't go wasting it like that!"

Rook did not reply for a few seconds, before saying, "So little left…. I think you're right…" He turned his head towards the shrine's entrance as he finally remembered something he forgot. The boy found Marisa standing right before the shrine gate, her eyes wide as she stared at Rook and Reimu with tears falling down her cheeks.

"Ma-Marisa" said Reimu nervously, swallowing hard as she braced herself for her friend's harsh words. However Marisa's words were not directed to the shrine maiden, instead they were…..

"Why…?" asked the witch, her right hand balled into a fist to keep it from trembling. She raised her head and marched towards the boy, right before drawing her hand back and sending a sucker punch towards Rook's head. The boy did not even try to dodge or block the witch's strike, but instead took it without question which sent him crashing down the floor with a bloody lip.

_Ugh, okay I deserved that, but I never expected her to hit that hard,_ he thought just as Marisa took the liberty of kicking him on the gut for good measure.

"No, stop it Marisa!" called Reimu's voice amidst the dull pain on Rook's stomach.

"I trusted him! I trusted you! And yet why? WHY REIMU? WHY DID HE HAVE TO KILL HER, WHY DID HE HAVE TO KILL MISS MIMA?" screamed Marisa's voice which was filled with burning fury. "Out of my way Reimu, let me kill him! I'll kill him for what he's done! I'LL MAKE HIM PAY; I'LL MAKE THIS DAMN BASTARD PAY FOR WHAT HE DID!"

"No! I won't let you kill him; you're not supposed to let your emotions run wild like this, Marisa! You can't just kill him and turn yourself into a murderer!" said Reimu. Through Rook's vision, he can see the shrine maiden's shoes before him; it probably meant that Reimu was blocking him from Marisa's view.

"Watch me!" snarled the witch as she made an attempt to get pass Reimu, only to meet the shrine maiden's gohei on her neck. "_He's_ the murderer here Reimu, he's no better than the youkai, I told him that Miss Mima was on our side, yet he killed her anyway! He's a monster Reimu! A monster and monsters are supposed to be killed!"

Rook lost his breath at that. _Am I… really a monster? I… suppose I am…_

However Reimu would not hear any of it and continued to convince Marisa to stop. "Like I said, I won't let you! You're in no position to judge or condemn anyone to death! You are no executioner Marisa, and even if he is at fault, which he isn't, the Yama will judge as she sees fit!"

The witch was silent for a moment; Rook took risked looking up to see what was happening. Reimu was still standing before him with her gohei on her left, while Marisa had her hakkero on her right and was breathing heavily as she kept her gaze low. The red mark on the witch's arm indicated that she struck by the purification rod without Rook hearing the sound of the strike.

Marisa gave Reimu one last venomous look before turning her back on her best friend, and finally walk towards her tattered hat, putting it on her head once she reached it.

"I get it…" muttered the witch, dusting off the dirt that her hat got from being on the ground for so long. "You're siding with him….. Better off with your murderer of a guardian than your best friend who just lost her own mentor… You pick that filth over me? Sure, whatever…."

"You don't understand Marisa. I'm not siding with anyone; I'm just trying to stop you from doing something you'll regret. Mima….. Mima knew what she was doing, she sacrificed herself to save Gensokyo and you know that she's one of the last people you'll ever expect to do such a thing… What she did was noble Marisa, please understand that…"

The witch summoned her broom and mounted it, without even a second glance towards Reimu; she kicked off the ground and rose into the air.

The shrine maiden sighed and began rubbing her forehead. She had lots of things to do aside from repairing her shrine, the villagers in the Human Village would need all the help they could get, fixing the shrine could but for now…

"Huh? Leaving already?" asked Reimu, turning her attention on Rook who has finally stood up.

"Yeah… I need….. Some time to be alone… I got a lot of things to sort out, mainly Marisa…" replied the boy.

"I see, but… Why didn't you fight back when she hit you? It should've saved you unnecessary pain…"

"Same reason why I didn't kill you on sight for posing as a threat to Gensokyo, I'm sorry if I couldn't stay for long but I really need to get going…"

"Um, okay. At least let me heal you up! You just lost all of your abilities; it could be dangerous for you to travel like that!"

"No, don't worry about me I'll be fine. It's you I'm concerned about, stay safe and until _you_ recover do not get into unnecessary fights. It's only my first night back finally conscious, and yet an incident suddenly explodes right in my face… Be careful, Reimu Hakurei…"

Reimu watched as Rook descended the shrine steps. The shrine maiden turned to face her now half destroyed shrine for a few seconds before releasing a deep sigh and finally go inside the still intact building so that she would be able to retire for the night. She picked up Mima's knife as she passed by and closed the shrine's doors.

And so, a long day has finally ended…. Another normal day in Gensokyo…

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_Nicolas Notes: Seriously, I had lots to say about in this chapter but my brain seems to be functioning backwards now... So that's that! And so ends a long chapter, I hope you guys enjoyed it. On an unrelated note, I know that there's a lot of you reading this and I hope that you guys could leave a review and will be able to help me improve (somehow). Like I said in the first chapter constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms! Even if its praise or anonymous it's also welcome! Darn I sound desperate... Well see ya next time!_


	9. Chapter 5: The Woods and the shop

_Nicolas Notes: Hiyas~! This is an omake chapter that has nothing to do with the main story *He's lying*_

_So I hope you guys enjoy it~!_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou, blah blah blah, and yes the Rook is mine and I would appreciate it if you'd give it back**  
_

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**Select Difficulty :**

**{_Easy_}** **{**_Normal_**} {**_Hard_**} _{_**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

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**CHAPTER 5: Past the Forest and through the Shop**

**Year 2000**

**8:33 Post-meridian**

**Unnamed Forest, North West of the Hakurei Shrine, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rook crashed down against a tree and sat with his back on it, his face contorted in pain as he clutched his stomach in a futile attempt to lessen the white hot fire that was burning within him. He completely forgot that during his fight earlier with Reimu, he had to activate that ability of his to postpone the pain he was supposed to feel which meant right now, he was feeling the "Price" for activating the stupid ability. _Why… why does it always have to be the stomach?_ Thought Rook in his tormented mind.

"Argh!" he grunted as a piercing pain shot through his spine making him think that he just broke his spinal cord when he has not.

Arcing his back, he placed his left hand on his right shoulder while closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as the pain increased by the second. The boy began to squeeze his shoulder harder as the pain rose and grew, it was as if he were being crushed into gravel only to be crushed again, the repetitive thoughts of being smashed against the wall and shattering like an ice pack kept swirling within Rook's mind.

Rook looked up just in time to see a tall black hooded man skewered him with a trident square on the chest. The pain was too real and almost had him convinced by the illusion, causing his heart to skip five beats and for him to cough out blood. Rook blinked twice just so that he can get rid of the haunting illusion that the "Price" had set upon him.

"Darn it… DARN IT ALL!" he roared, pointing his palm towards another tree and shot a bolt of lightning, making the trunk explode. However, the effort of doing so drained him of his power, causing him to breathe heavily so much that his lungs hurt.

_Damn it! Why did this crap have to happen now? Why now? Why, why, why, WHY! _Roared Rook within his mind, grabbing a chunk of the grass from the ground and throwing it away vigorously in order to vent out his frustration. _How? Five years, FIVE YEARS! They'll be arriving in five years! How would I be able to face them with this pathetic state of mine! I could hardly fight a damn fairy!_

Rook slammed his right hand against the large stone beside him, ignoring the explosion of pain that erupted from his knuckles, he continued to pound his fist against the rock repeatedly until it began to bleed and utter loud cracking noises. The boy raised his hand one last time and rammed the stone with all the might he could muster in his hand.

"Why does this always have to happen to me, damn it!" he shouted out loud, causing the sleeping birds to suddenly take to the sky.

Rook slumped back into his tree gasping at the pain he had inflicted on himself as his memories chose the bad time to appear.

"_He's the murderer here, Reimu, he's no better than the youkai, I told him that Miss Mima was on our side, yet he killed her anyway! He's a monster, Reimu! And monsters are supposed to be killed!"_

"Shut up! SHUT UP, LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!" yelled Rook, forcing his hands on his ears to block out the echoing voice of Marisa from entering. Without really thinking about it, he began to see Patchouli standing before him within a memory. Her expression was a cold stare piercing him. He can still remember that night…. The night he left… The Magician's words…

"_This is all your fault, if only you hadn't poisoned her mind she wouldn't have to be reduced to this state… You will walk the lands alone with the knowledge of what you have done ever present within your mind. No matter what you do, no matter where you go, this knowledge will remain, NOW BEAR MY CURSE!"_

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" shouted the boy, preparing his left arm to strike but only to find no one before him.

"_Monster…. That's what you are…"_

"I am… no monster…. And… I will never be one…. Ever…" said Rook as he tried to catch his breath. _What the hell is with these illusions? Is my brain finally fighting against me? Damn it, I need to see a doctor… I just lost my powers and I can't have myself going insane now…_

Suddenly, a vague image of Flandre whispering to the mutilated corpses of the 'toys' she has broken came into Rook's mind.

No.

He cannot lose it now, especially when he had another insane person to cure. It would be no help at all by losing his mind now. Rook raised his injured hand and began to examine the wound he has inflicted on it like it was a lollipop he was about to taste. The entire hand felt numb yet some stinging sensations shot through his bloody knuckles in which his cartilages were exposed. Some of his fingers were dislocated and now are pointed at weird angles. A few of them had deep cuts exposing the white of their fragile bones. When Rook touched his right index finger with his left, his injured hand gave an involuntary twitch which caused him to wince as pain began to travel through his arm. Shattered…. Some of his fingers were shattered upon impact on the stone.

The boy made his left palm hover over the back of his right hand and whispered. "Heal…"

A faint shade of blue began to glow from the boy's left palm and began to close the cuts and heal the bruises that were present on the injured hand. Rook could feel his crushed bones reattach themselves into one another like strings being woven, however, the wounds did heal yet the pain is still present. The stinging sensation remains long after the wounds have been healed. Usually, a faint warm feeling was left behind every time the healing process finishes. This seems to be an obvious sign that his power has indeed weakened.

"Oh my, what happened?" said a feminine voice that rung out of nowhere. A gap ripped through the very fabric of reality from which Yukari stepped out casually with her pink parasol leaning on her shoulder. She came to a halt a few paces away from the boy on the tree, before setting her parasol in front of her and say, "Got a rough night?"

Without hesitation, Rook jumped to his feet and charged the Youkai of Borders bare handed. Surprisingly enough, Yukari made no attempt of fleeing as the boy grabbed her by the collar and shake her like there was no tomorrow in his rage.

"What kind of sick joke are you trying to pull now?" roared Rook as he continued to shake Yukari back and forth. "Aren't you effing content with your sick pranks already? Where the hells were you when we needed you? WE WAITED FOR YOU, THINKING THAT WE'RE BUYING YOU ENOUGH TIME FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY APPEAR, BUT YOU DIDN'T! INSTEAD, YOU LEFT IT TO THE FOUR OF US TO MAKE THE DECISIONS, TO FIGHT YOUR STUPID BATTLES! Why is it that you always push your problem to us? Can't you take your goddamned job seriously—"

Rook was cut off as he was blasted five feet into the air before crashing back down on the ground, only to be swallowed by a gap which led him into crashing straight into the trunk of the tree he sat on earlier. The boy turned his glare back at Border Youkai only to realize that Yukari seemed a bit….. Tired?

"What… the hell is it with you… and your damn empty promises?" growled Rook, ignoring the sight of Yukari's tired eyes as she merely stared at him. "How many more lives do you have to risk until you're content? Tell me, do you actually care about this world of yours? Are you really that careless leaving it to a teenage girl who barely has any experience on anything in the field of battle, and has no idea the risks she's taking when making choices?"

"What are you trying to imply?" replied Yukari as she finally spoke. "That you'll do a better job in handling this world's problem than Reimu? Than me? Know this Rook, you too can make mistakes as I do… No matter how old we are or how long we have existed, we will always make mistakes… None of us are perfect, not even I, the one who has the ability to manipulate everything at will…."

"No…. But still why didn't you come sooner! We could've used your help for all we knew, yet you didn't even show up! If only you arrived earlier, Mima wouldn't have to fade and Marisa wouldn't be hating me now! The shrine didn't have to be destroyed and we could have saved Reimu faster!" growled Rook, getting worked up again with every word filling him with rage. The Border Youkai's incompetence has crossed the line for the final time.

"Hold your tongue, Wayward Chess Piece!" snapped Yukari as a dark shadow crept along her skin while her eyes burned with bright purple light. The right side of her beautiful face became warped and demonic, which caused Rook to freeze in place at the nightmarish sight. Yukari uttered a threatening snarl before willing her face back to normal once more.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Yukari released a heavy sigh as she fought to keep her composure intact. "Rook, allow me to explain my absence during your fight with Reimu a few hours ago…"

The boy had no choice to listen for he was bound to the ground by two small gaps that held both of his feet in place. Gritting his teeth, Rook had no choice but to hear her out, wondering what silly excuse she made up again for not showing up as expected.

"The moment you and your witch friend, and before Ran could even warn me again of the situation, I was already working my hardest in keeping the Great Barrier intact as you fly through the sky heading towards the shrine. Yes, while you were cruising through the air at a more or less leisurely pace, I was sealing up major cracks that appeared upon our precious sky, however I might as well be holding back a flood with a wooden door for it was no use. Indeed, not even with my powers I could seal and repair all of those damages at once, Rook, like you, I too have my own limits, and due to my peaceful lifestyle it seems like that I have lost my edge quite a bit… All I can do at that time was to slow down the Barrier's collapse, so you see here my boy, I was buying _you _time not the other way around. I really wanted to help, cross my heart, I am not lying for now. I had my hands full at the time and I cannot risk of sending Ran or Chen to you since I needed much of their strength after seeing your progress bar not progressing. You did well by offering and risking your power for Reimu back there, however…."

Yukari began to walk towards Rook, and knelt down beside him, placing her hand beneath his chin and forcing him to look at her eyes. "I saw you hesitate…. Now why would that be..?"

Rook jerked his head to the side, avoiding eye contact with the Youkai before him. "None of your business. Just be merry that your shrine maiden is safe…"

"You're hiding something again," muttered Yukari, and then she shook her head and stood up. "Never mind, I won't bother you if you're uncomfortable with it, all of us have those split decision moments in our lives once in awhile"

Silence reigned the clearing for a good seven minutes. The crickets chirped and the owls hooted, while the day animals slept peacefully as if the events that occurred the past six hours never happened. Gensokyo was quiet with the absence of the falling sky and that of the exploding geysers; all evidences of the event seemed to have disappeared magically. Once the seven minutes have passed overhead without much disturbance, Rook began to speak.

"Can't you bring it back?" blurted out the boy without thinking.

"Bring what back?" asked Yukari, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Rook questioningly.

"My powers, can't you just manipulate my borders so that I would attain the skills that I had from before?" said Rook with a hint of desperation in his tone.

Yukari tilted her head to the side and looked at the boy with sad, pitying eyes. "I'm afraid…. I cannot help you in that matter…"

Anger flashed upon Rook's features, yet he composes himself with a sigh to keep his cool as he says "Why not?"

"As I have said earlier, I have my limits; there will be always that one Boundary that even I have forbidden myself to cross. Tell me Rook, are you brave enough to go against fate's wishes?" asked Yukari, keeping her eyes on Rook's reaction.

The first thing that popped into his mind at the word 'fate' was Remilia for she was one person who could bend the strings of fate to her will on random times. And—

Rook's jaw gaped a bit as the realization hit him out of nowhere. "It's _her_… She did this, that damn Magician…"

Yukari turned her gaze away from the boy and placed its focus on a small cluster of bright violet flowers that bloomed at the side of a large tree. "There are some things that _I_ wouldn't be able to manipulate. For example, you were fated to lose your power due to a freak accident; I cannot reverse the effects of that future for it is protected by fate's strings. It blocks out my power, rendering it useless. It also seems that you were fated to reclaim your powers on your own, which means I won't be able to help you and neither can the Oarfish above can… However, I _probably_ return some of it back to you yet there's no knowing what could happen, that is why I'm going to try and avoid from straying that far for it could prove risky even for you…"

"Try? Why are you going to try?" asked Rook.

"There will be times that I will help you, occasionally giving you a little nudge by activating your power, yet even then it is still risky. You can still fire lightning bolts, no? Yet they drain you much of your strength? That just proves that your body almost returned to its original state the day you first received your abilities. Your memories say that you know how to activate those skills you lost, however, your body simply doesn't have that amount of power to accommodate all of those abilities that you've harness for the past eight centuries. In a nutshell: you're back to level one, unless you train yourself to become as powerful as you were a few hours ago, maybe even more powerful…"

"So powerful… it could create a monster…" she whispered in a very mellow voice that only the breeze could hear. Rook's face told her to repeat what she said but she never responded and instead, looked at him as it was his turn to speak.

Rook did not mind what Yukari had mumbled to herself and continued his talk.

"It took me eight hundred years to acquire all of those skills, are you sure that I would be able to gain them all back if I train?"

"I never said that, although…. Maybe, just maybe… Your memories are the key here since they already know how to activate some of your most powerful strikes, it's only your body you have to work on for it to accommodate all of the energy it requires to fully gain control on your powers, give it a few years and you'll be back in no time…"

"You're a youkai, sometimes your definition of 'a few years' could extend to 'millennia', so it's not really reliable if you say that…"

"But still, at least it will be… umm, easy-ish for you to reclaim all of your powers back to its former glory. With that knowledge in mind you should be able to go through this with little difficulty"

_Except for the fact that I'm now under time limit…_ thought Rook menacingly, yet aloud he said. "I'm still angry at you and your incompetence. And also, regaining all of those skills I've learned is easier said than done and another thing is I'm not you, I'm just a… what you call… extraordinary human…"

"You're rather special than extraordinary, Rook. Your purple haired Magician friend knows this too. Maybe a little _too _special. It seems to me that she has countered your move with this dilemma she has placed before you even if it were an indirect attack, uf fu fu fu. I'm infinitely curious on how you would retaliate with you in this state. This blow you've just received is no laughing matter; it may greatly affect your future progress in your silly game, Hehehe…"

Rook lowered his gaze to his right hand. _I was playing into her turn without even knowing it… With Remilia at her side… No, the vampire could only bend fate once certain conditions are met. She won't be able to strike me with '_Fate'_ again for a very long time. Still, that was cheap shot from her; I have to be more careful next time since she's manipulating my actions from afar…_

Yukari willed the gaps that bounded Rook's feet to disappear, startling the boy out of his thoughts. "Hmph, seems like I gave you a lot to think about, didn't I? Your opponent seems to be playing her pieces well, provided her very funny strategy, but the question is, Will you be able keep up with the battle you've just started or will you just sit there and wait for the other youkai to consume you?"

To the Border Youkai's surprise, Rook began to snigger until he was laughing softly at her words. "As. If. I'll let that happen," said the boy, with a wide grin plastered on his bright face, removing all the bitter expressions he made just a while ago.

"New plan formed within that thick skull of yours?" asked Yukari staring at him suspiciously.

"Yeah, and I'm telling you… It's going to be fun, I'll let her savor this win for now… Besides, Patchouli is too far away in order for me to strike her. But just you wait, once she steps into this little world that'll be the time I'll be turning the chessboard… A deadly chessboard,"

_You wouldn't know… The checkered grounds of your chessboard could blind you somehow… Chess piece. _These were the words that popped into the youkai's mind after hearing the last phrase of the boy. And with her thought, she quietly chuckled, careful not to show the boy what she was thinking. _Are you sure that the game's favor will forever be to your side, naïve boy?_

"I-I see" said Yukari, as she wondered if Rook had finally lost his marbles. "Can you tell me of your plan?"

"It's. A. secret~!" chuckled the boy as he stood up unsteadily back on his feet.

"That's my line!" snapped Yukari, pointing an accusing finger at Rook.

"I'm only pulling a leaf out of your book Yukari, I'm gonna teach that girl a lesson…" said Rook as he dusted off dirt from his pants.

"Fine, don't tell me, I'll find it out sooner or later, and don't come home to me crying that you lost…" the Border Youkai tried to sound offended, however the gesture failed by the sight of her amused eyes. "I'll be watching this little play of yours…"

"Whatever." said Rook with uncertainty in his tone.

Yukari raised her right hand above her head, causing a gap to open and a small black box to fall down the grass from the purple void. "I have a present for you, seeing that casting a single bolt would drain you of your much needed strength, I brought this plaything for you to use until you adjusted your power to your current state…"

Rook walked towards the box and kneeled before it, undoing the locks placed on its lid and opening it. "It's…. a gun? Does it work on youkai though?"

On the boy's hands was a well balanced, steel plated, Outside world made Mk.22 Sleeper gun, a pistol usually used to neutralize enemies by knocking them out with a bullet filled with a strong sleep inducing drug. It's—

"None lethal, and the drug within the bullets is strong enough to keep an enraged Oni asleep for three days, although if you even try and shoot me I think I'll be knocked out for a couple of weeks" mused Yukari as she watched the boy examine the pistol on every angle.

"It's fairly light, the grip and trigger have been customized so it's very comfortable for hands that are not used to these things," Rook glanced at the black box and took out the bullet rounds. "These are usually used in hunting wild animals in Africa… It's very fatal to humans in high doses, because if you cross the line, you sleep forever. A green tipped 9mm parabellum bullet, huh... Still," he placed the firearm back in its case along with its bullets and stared at the Border Youkai before him. "Why would you go this far into aiding me? You know how I am when it comes to weapons and the reasons why I never use them,"

"Beggars can't be choosers, Rook. Unlike last time, you won't be able to tear apart youkai with only your electricity, so for now you'll have to improvise and find other alternative ways to fight, it should be fun for you…" replied Yukari. "The box contains unlimited magazines, courtesy of my gaps, however it seems like you still need to reload and replace your magazines with new ones that come from the box. Make sure you bring enough ammo and magazines before you head out to somewhere. Remember it can only be fired once before reloading so time your shots well, and don't miss!"

"You stole this, didn't you?" asked Rook shrewdly, cracking a smile on his lips.

"Back in the Cold War, somewhere in a forest while I was taking a peaceful stroll, and I did not _steal _it I merely salvaged it so that I could give it to you as a present!" argued Yukari crossing her arms under her chest.

"And it took you ten years to finally give it? Why not last Christmas, that time when you gave Ran that weird underwear… with laces…"

"Chen was present and she had enough for that night!" snapped the Youkai of Borders and her nose lifted high in the air.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever onee-chan," muttered Rook in an undertone, however, it was still heard by Yukari for her eyes began to sparkle for a moment.

"Wha-what did you say?" she stuttered in disbelief.

Rook raised an eyebrow and says "Did I say something? What's with that face, bah, never mind. I'm not going back to Mayohiga tonight so you can go now, thanks for the gift by the way."

Yukari spread her fan across her face and uttered her trademark chuckle. "uf fu fu, very well I'll see you around then, Rook…"

A loud pop indicated a gap opening behind Yukari, however when she was about step inside, she slowly turned her head around to face Rook once more. "Oh and I almost forgot, you're probably wondering why the 'Price' as you call it, suddenly came to a grinding halt when I arrived, I merely postponed its effects until I left so it would probably back in let's say…. Thirty seconds?"

Rook's eyes widened at her words, quickly kneeling down to the box and pulling out his Mk.22, aiming it towards Yukari's head. "Damn it Yukari!"

The tranquilizer gun barked as the boy pulled the trigger; however, before the bullet even left the cylinder, Yukari had already disappeared into her gap. The bullet collided with the thick tree bark at the other end of the clearing.

Rook's right hand began to tremble as his own heart beats began to drum against his ears. The pain was now creeping back into his body, squeezing his spine and twisting his muscles, crushing his mind while piercing his eyes. His knees gave way, forcing him to kneel. His breathing began to quicken while his blood began to feel like they were on fire.

The boy held his head with his hands as he cringes in pain, as if his stomach was being pumped with air and was about to explode any moment now. His heart's deep beating sounded louder in his ears now as he placed a hand before him to keep himself from falling face first into the ground.

_Stupid… Gap hag… I'll get her for this… _he thought as his vision began to blur. Somehow the cool gentle breeze made him very sleepy. The soft touch of the grass and its comfortable leaf blades, dark patches of black began to dance at the end of his vision. The pain was getting to his head again, draining him once more of the little strength he had recovered. _I give up…_

Rook's hands collapsed prompting him to fall face first into the soft grass in the middle of the clearing and began to snore.

* * *

Little did the boy know that someone was watching him as he spoke to the Gap Youkai a few minutes ago. From behind a large oak, a small figure peered through the side of the tree's trunk. A small girl about the age of nine to twelve cautiously observed the fair-haired person that lay asleep on the forest floor, completely oblivious of the dangers that surround him.

Not knowing what to do, the girl steeled her will and began to take tentative steps towards the sleeping boy. As she came out of the dark shade of the towering tree behind her, the girl proved to have the same blonde hair as Rook, however her eyes were golden, though unlike Marisa, her hair was short and had a blue head band with matching ribbon at the side. It was obvious that the girl had a rough day for her blue apron was in tatters while her white shirt sported ripped sleeve on her left.

The girl had streak of dirt on her right cheek while her short legs were splattered in dry mud and had the look that they were travelling for weeks without rest. One of the girl's shoes were missing leaving her with her bare sock that used to be white though now it seemed like it has lost its color.

The girl crouched down next to Rook, placing that thick black leather bound book she carried to her side, and began to poke him on his shoulder. The boy gave no response except for a very loud snore. Seeing that she will acquire no useful information from the sleeping Rook, she stood up and began to pace around.

_Now, what do I do…? It was miracle that I even managed to get pass Sara and exit that world, however I have no plans on what step should I make next. Ugh, maybe I should've planned this out a little longer,_ thought the girl while still carrying the heavy leather bound book at her side. _It's been two weeks, has Yumeko found out about my trick? Mother must be going out of her mind of worry… I wonder if they're searching for me now… Well please forgive me, mother, sisters, but if none of you are going to do about our current situation then I will… I just need to find the shrine maiden again and that witch and beat them to a bloody pulp once more…_

The girl ceased her pacing and threw a disgusted look at the sleeping Rook who muttered. "Damn you Yukari…. I'm gonna throw you off a cliff…. *mumble* *mumble*"

The girl eyed him with contempt as she thought in her mind. _Filthy human, they're nothing but disgusting, barbaric slobs… I should probably just kill him now, but sadly I can't… Aside from that strange woman in purple, he's the first person I have encountered in this world aside from the fairies. My first source of information will be him, and once I have the information I seek, I'll dispose of him by then._

Rook, who was oblivious to what the seemingly harmless girl's thoughts were planning, continued to mumble in his sleep. The girl tried to ignore his mutterings for most of them were incomprehensible and difficult to understand, until she caught a word that seemed all too familiar to her ears.

"Got any food to spare…. Hakurei?" muttered the boy as a large clump of grass found their way into his mouth, causing him to chew without knowing what he was eating. Meanwhile, the girl in the ruined clothes stared at him wide eyed and once again, began to think deeply to herself. _Hakurei? That name…. that was the name that circulated around Makai the moment Sara was defeated. The name of the person that beat me, along with three others… Could this boy know who that red white is?_

The girl ran up to Rook and began to shake him vigorously in an attempt to wake him. "Hey you, Wake up! How do you know of the Hakurei? Are you an accomplice of hers? Hey speak to me you somnolent fool! Awaken!"

Receiving no response from the surprisingly heavy pain drunk sleeper, the girl plopped herself on his back causing Rook to grunt at the sudden weight that was placed on his back, however he was still asleep and made no attempt on getting the child off of him. And as if to insult the frustrated little girl behind him, the idiot began to speak once more in his sleep. "Chen, behave yourself or I'll call Ran to punish you for being a bad…. Kitty, zzzzzzz"

The girl crossed her arms and pouted adorably at his words, when a sudden inspiration struck her. She climbed off Rook's back, took with her the large book she carried and stand before the boy's head with an angry look upon her face. "Let's see who's getting punished here, disgusting human," she hissed as she gripped her black book tight. "And for future reference, my name is not Chen, IT IS ALICE!"

Rook began to stir at the girl's loud voice, but too late. He had enough time to see the girl lift the heavy black book over her head before slamming it down the boy's head with all her might.

Everything went black…. Again…

**SAVE GAME?**

**{Y}**/_N_

* * *

The bonfire crackled merrily in the middle of a small clear patch in the forest where the crickets chirped happily and the owls hooted contently within their homes. Rook threw dried wood and sticks into the fire while rubbing the new bump he had on his head, courtesy of the girl in blue and white who named herself as Alice. The girl sat huddled at the other side of the fire as she hugged her black book against her stomach while staring at the depths of the flames as if she were hypnotized by its beauty.

Rook glanced at the girl for a fraction of a second before releasing a heavy sigh as he sat back down on the grass, staring at the tiny spot not covered by the leaves in which the sky was visible. It was funny how a few hours earlier the sky was falling.

The girl 'Alice' had just finished her fifteen minute apologizing session when she realized the damage and unnecessary pain she had caused Rook by hitting him with a four kilogram and three inched leather bound book of doom right on his skull. It was a miracle that he had managed to survive the assault with only a large bump on his head. Ever since he offered to keep her company for awhile due to the fact of having a young child wander about the forest, looking as though she were running from death itself was dangerous; she has been relatively quiet and has not spoken since.

Rook has observed that by the tatters of her clothes and that of the complicated expression she has adopted, he could tell that she was very troubled and was being chased by someone. Although, even if he did knew this in his mind he did not speak it out loud for in startling the girl with barrages of questions that she seems to be uncomfortable in answering at the moment. The book she was holding, the clever calculating glint in her eyes, and an aura that radiated determination, this girl was up to something and it was not a mere coincidence for her to appear right after the incident a few hours ago. He would have to stay alert since looks can be deceiving at times.

Rook uttered a fake cough while placing a hand before his mouth, which somehow startled the little girl by the fire, her attention now focused on him. He smiled once he had caught her and began to speak. "Now, would you care to tell me that why a young lady like you is out in the middle of a dark forest all alone? Your parents must be worried sick, are you lost? I could take you back to the village if you want,"

Alice glanced at him for a moment before turning her gaze back into the fire and remains silent.

_The quiet game, huh? Well now…_ he thought to himself as he produced a large sweat drop near his brow. "Say… Are you foreign? You don't seem to be from these parts,"

Alice flickered her eyes toward him nervously, only to turn away as she met his gaze. "Ye-yes… I strayed off from our group and suddenly found myself lost in these woods. There were many monsters and… I'm scared" The girl tightened her hug around that black book of hers and lowers her face into it.

_She's lying…_ thought Rook, however, aloud he replied. "You got separated, huh? Well I'm sorry to hear that. Do you need help?"

Alice did not reply, but continued to stare into the fire however, the look on her eyes only raised Rook's suspicions. His eyes eventually trailed to the book she was holding.  
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that a grimoire?" he asked pointing his gloved finger at the black book.

A spark of alarm flashed through the girl's eyes as she looked at Rook. "I- um, well it's…" she started, only to falter mid-way and look very uncomfortable.

"Well, if you don't want to talk about it, I can always leave it hanging. I just need to be on alert in case something suddenly pounces out of nowhere and attack me, especially after what just happened," said Rook as he tore his gaze away from the girl and back place it back to the sky.

"The lights and bangs from earlier, were you involved in it?" asked Alice as she finally found her voice. "The sky was breaking and earth was shaking, are those things really that common here?"

"We call them incidents. They happen once in awhile, usually caused by a youkai that's bored and has a lot of free time, but the one that happened earlier was…. Different, dangerous even… Not that the previous incidents were any safer, but it was probably one of the most catastrophic incidents we had in a long, long time,"

"Incidents?" asked Alice. _The Hakurei Maiden mentioned something about the chaos in Makai being caused by an incident. Was mother the one responsible for that? No, she couldn't have…_

"Yeah, incidents. I could name a few if you'd like," offered Rook while holding up his hands and stare at them as if he were counting off his fingers. "The Eastern Wonderland incident where the youkais and vengeful ghosts went amok and trashed the place, the phantasmagoria of a Dim Dream incident where this woman from another realm tricked the people of the tournament she held and almost killed them with those advanced machines of hers, the Lotus Land Story where that horrible sadist…. Actually I'll leave that one out… Now this one happened just recently, the Mystic Square incident, probably second most troublesome incident next to the one that happened a few hours ago. Lots of innocent people got killed and the demon folk were out and about, doing whatever they wanted… but not to worry, it's already resolved,"

"A-a-are you sure of that? There are no more demons roaming around?" said the girl in a frightened tone.

"Nope, none left. If I ever do find one, I'll ask nicely for them to go back to wherever they came from" said Rook with a warm smile.

"I see…" muttered Alice.

She seemed to be eager to end the conversation, however Rook was not about to let her and kept on speaking. "Anyway, from what I've heard one would be able to strengthen their magic if they had a grimoire with them, no? The artifact is commonly used by magician all over Gensokyo and most of those on the Outside,"

_He seems to be the chatty type of person; can't he just shut up already? Wait, the Outside? What does he mean by the Outside? There's another world beyond Makai and Gensokyo? _ Thought the little girl as Rook went on.

"A child like you wouldn't' be able to survive unarmed within this forest for a long period of time, unless…." He placed his eyes back to the girl and smiled. "Unless, you're someone a very special ability or profession. A magician, perhaps? Or was it just your luck that you've managed to survive this far? I get the feeling that the book you have isn't just for show, hm?"

Alice gripped her black book tightly on her chest, ready to utter the first spell that comes into her mind. "What are you saying, sir? I don't really understand,"

"The magic incased in that book is seeping out, which basically means that you're either letting it so voluntarily or that you can barely contain it in that book with your current level. I can tell that you're running from something which probably means that someone or something is after you. It's possible that you stole that grimoire, hm? Or was it just recently you got it?"

"It's a gift from my….. Late mother," said Alice, telling more or less the truth.

A smile curled upon Rook's lips as he heard her. "You're a bad liar, you know that?"

"Wha-What are you saying?" said Alice, looking flustered at his words. _Ha-ha-have I been found out? It's impossible he only glanced at my Grimoire and…. Just, just how did he know?_

Rook chuckled after seeing the obvious look on the girl's face before standing up and prepared his tranquilizer gun for firing, causing the girl to cower in fear. The boy raised the weapon above his head and pulled the trigger while staring at the thick clump of bushes at the end of the clearing. The warning shot echoed throughout the forest startling the sleeping bird out of their nests as they took flight.

"Go away, we're exhausted and all we want is to rest for the night. If you don't want me punish you again then go away!" yelled Rook in a stern voice as he addressed no one in particular.

Within the pitch black forest a single childish voice hissed at his call. "Is that so~?"

The soft rustling of the plants' leaves indicated the predator of the darkness' quick retreat. Alice stared at Rook in shock as she wondered why she not sensed the presence before the boy did. After all she was not human, unlike him.

Rook raised his weapon at the general direction of the hiss earlier and pulls the trigger once more, causing the gun to utter a loud bang. From within the darkness a faint yelp was heard before everything went to silence once more.

"Di-did you really have to do that?" asked Alice as she eyed the boy's weapon cautiously, afraid that he will aim it at her. Rook gave her a weak smile after he examined the gun in his hands after he fired.

"I'm sorry but I had to make sure, you can't trust most youkais at these times especially now right after a major event just took place," explained the boy as he placed the gun back in its container. "Look, we can't stay here for much long, other than the youkai that I just neutralized now there's bound to be more hanging around, waiting for the chance to kill us. Would you like to come with me? I can take you to the village and they may be able to help you,"

Alice hesitated; she stared at the hand Rook was offering to her and the weak smile on his face. She guessed that he was thinking that she would refuse him just by looking at that fake smile. _He doesn't know… He merely suspects…_

Not wanting to prove that she was a hostile individual, Alice took his hand reluctantly and stood up on both of her feet. Alice winced as she placed much of her weight on her left foot. The boy seems to have noticed this for in a worried tone he asks "Hey, you're not hurt are you?"

"No, I'm fine…" replied Alice as she experimentally stomped her foot on the grassy forest floor. _What is wrong with me? Why isn't this stupid pain soothing already?_

Rook blinked twice before saying, "Ah, okay then," He then turned his gaze towards west. "Keep close, who knows what we'll find in the forest, even I don't walk around these parts, especially after nightfall unless I'm in a good mood. It's pretty obvious that I ain't in one right now,"

Alice shot him a venomous glare while he was not looking. _Tactless idiot, at least check what's really hurting me you tactless fool! I swear I'll crush him for not even offering to carry me, wait, what on Makai am I saying?_

The little girl shook her head just so she can snap herself out of her trance, only to see Rook kneeling on the ground as he loaded his weapon with a few ammunitions for the trip. He closed the black box on his feet and stood up, pulling the gun's cylinder as he did causing it to sound a loud click. "Next stop, Kourindou,"

* * *

**Year 2000**

**12:00 Anti-meridian**

**Heart of the Forest of Magic, Mushroom Trail, Gensokyo**

* * *

The trip itself was a quiet one, however as Rook and his little companion travelled through the forest, he noticed a few changes in the landscape since the battle a few hours ago. Streams of glowing blue green water snaked through the ground out of nowhere while they occasionally passed by a tiny pool of bubbling orange liquid in which mushrooms seemed to flourish magnificently.

The trees seemed a bit taller and thicker than usual… Sure the forest was spirited away from a very ancient part of equally old woods; however they did not grow that thick or tall. The trees themselves looked intimidating and the eerie atmosphere was nerve wrecking. Rook maintained a bored expression with an alert mind, while little Alice glanced around nervously as if something horrible would pounce out all of a sudden.

Rook glanced to the girl at his side and says, "Don't worry; it's all in your head. Try ignoring the fear you have right now, I know you're scared."

Alice furrowed her eyebrows and said. "I-I'm not scared!"

"Heh, whatever you say young lady," muttered Rook, releasing a light chuckle as he did, causing the girl to glare at him menacingly.

Silence enveloped the entire trip from then on. The duo came across a wide hole on the ground where the glowing blue green water seems to be flowing from it. Alice proved to be a smart child by telling Rook what interested her at the sight of the strange liquid by telling him of its various magical components.

"Healing water, the earth's blood." murmured the little girl as she dipped the tip of her finger into the liquid.

"The Earth's blood? As in the planet's?" asked Rook as he knelt beside the little girl, placing his box at his side while Alice busied herself in feeling the water's cold touch on her finger.

"Yes," huffed Alice the moment she finally took noticed the elder boy's question. "Though I wouldn't expect a human like you to understand considering your short life!"

"You speak as though you weren't human," said Rook, pointed out what he noticed in the girl's words.

The color on the girl's face drained at the slip she had just said. "I-ah-What I meant was, err…"

"Heh, Anyway, these stuff, they carry healing properties as stated by its name, right?" asked Rook, diverting the topic so as to calm the girl's nerves.

"Ye-yes, they're produced by nature's magic itself, made from the very same magic that creates gods. It could also mean that it's divine, in a way" said Alice, regaining her composure and straightening her face back to normal as she tried to keep her panicked expression back.

"The Earth's Blood, huh?" muttered Rook, "Well, if you ask me these things don't usually just come out of nowhere all of a sudden. The geysers in which these waters came from just burst from the ground a few hours ago, so it could mean that the incident earlier was the one responsible for this" Rook took off the glove on his right hand and placed it within the water. "The blood of the planet, blood doesn't seep out like this unless… The planet, or Gensokyo rather is wounded"

The boy lifted his hand and flicked it around to get the water off of it, before wiping it on his pants as he stood up, taking his box with him. Alice seemed to be deep in thought for she gazed the shallow waters with a solemn expression. Rook noticed this and began to speak once more.

"If you have anything to say, it's best to say it now" he says while tightening his glove around his right hand.

Alice kept her eyes on the pool before her as she replied. "It reminds me of home…"

"How long have you been wandering around?" asked Rook while placing his right hand deep into his pocket.

"A few weeks…" muttered Alice in return, before glaring at Rook's direction with angry eyes. "You will not speak to anyone about what I am about to tell you, understood?"

The boy raised his eyebrows at the girl's sudden motion, yet he nodded anyway. "Sure…"

Alice turned her gaze back into the pool and began to speak. "I have no intention of continuing this charade any longer; I have wasted my time long enough already, so…" The girl stood up and pointed her index finger towards Rook while holding her Grimoire at her side. "I'll tell you my tale through pain!"

The girl undid the lock of the black book and opened its pages as she held it by her left palm. Three orbs of blue energy began to hover behind Alice as she started to cast her spell. Rook took five steps backwards as he eyed the growing spheres warily.

"So she _was_ planning to fight me from the start…" he muttered, "And here I thought I was getting to her good side, oh well"

"I'll show you the true power of Makai, human!" yelled Alice as she summoned more power into her spheres. "I'll teach you not to mess with us demons!"

The three orbs of blue energy uttered a loud boom as they were released at the peak of their power, and quickly made their way towards Rook.

The boy dodged the first one by diving to his side, however was hit by the second and third orbs at the same time as he was about to recover. The boy was tossed into the air, eventually crashing right into a tree trunk. He unsteadily got back to his feet, breathing hard as he struggled to recollect his senses. _I'm… slower… Damn this going to be hard…_

His gaze trailed to his fallen box a few meters away from where he stood. He was about lunge for it when a thought crossed his mind; _I'm going to shoot a little girl with a gun, what man in their right mind would do that? Okay, the youkai of darkness may have that kind of form but she and the other youkais are an exception, I've seen her in action so she's not safe, this little girl however…._

He looked at Alice with a scowl on his face. …_Is not what she thinks she is… She's a human…_

Two large magic circles began to form behind Alice as she chanted another spell from her Grimoire, releasing large amounts of magic as she did. Rook coughed four times before dashing towards Alice with his bare hands so as not to harm her completely. The girl had finished her spell, prompting the magic circles to release two narrow red lasers, which Rook barely grazed. The lasers began to move in a circular pattern while maintaining their steady straight line, forcing Rook to duck and leap over them as he ran. The boy lowered his head as the narrow bar of red energy passed above him, picking up a stone from the ground as he did before hurling it towards the flying girl.

For some odd reason or was it by fate's whims, the rock hit Alice right on the forehead with enough force to knock her out but with little enough to prevent serious harm. The lights ceased to shine, the magic circles began to disappear and the sudden battle has come to a halt.

Ignoring his body's protests, Rook dashed once more below Alice just as she was about to hit the ground, catching her right on time. The boy placed Alice gently on the ground and began to check her for wounds. _Red…_ thought Rook as he had a look at the slight bleeding his stone caused on the girl's forehead._ Just who the heck is telling her that she's not human? Makai… Just what is it with that place? Brainwashing kids into battle freaks… They could give Mima a run for her money, but still…_

He tore his gaze away from the child and back into his arms, which were still smoking a bit after getting hit by the blue spheres. "Let's see if those waters can really heal…" he growled as he made his way towards the pool. Just as he was about to kneel down and cup a bit of water into his hands to wash Alice's wounds, the earth began to tremble.

Rook released a heavy sigh before saying, "What is it with these pointless battles? Can't I rest for at least five minutes without having to be subjected to near death experiences?"

The ground began to tremble harder, until a sudden explosion erupted marking the geyser's return to life causing Rook to be tossed back a few feet, only to crash flat on his back on the floor. A horrible shriek forced Rook's eyes open and gaze back into the pillar of water, or at least where the pillar of water should be.

On the geyser's place protruded a thick column of blue green scales with the head of a large serpent. The young leviathan serpent uttered another ear piercing shriek, almost causing Rook to go deaf if he had not clamped his palms on his ears.

_What the hell? _Thought Rook as he kept his ears shut from the serpent's horrible wail.

_Steel yourself… _came a girl's soft gentle voice.

_Young Lady?_ Thought Rook in surprise, his eyes darting immediately towards the young girl that lay unconscious some paces away from him. _Telepathy? That's pretty advanced…_

_Enough of this you dolt! Get me out of here now!_ Screamed the girl within his mind urging him to hurry.

_This is your fault… _he thought as he dashed towards the girl while avoiding getting snapped in half by the serpent's powerful jaw. _How are those things capable of existing here in the first place? No, scratch that… How did that thing get into that location in the first place?_

_The geysers must've been connected to the underground rivers in which these beasts may have dwelled, _replied Alice through her mind, while her limp body was picked up by Rook who had finally reached her, _the recent events may have flushed it out from its home and forced it to reside here temporarily._

_No, this is your fault!_ Insisted Rook as he began to sprint as far away as possible from the serpent, which released a thick liquid like substance that ate away everything it touched. Rook had to make an unexpected leap so as to avoid the spray of acid from the serpent's maw, while still directing his thoughts on the seemingly unconscious child he was carrying, _If only you hadn't released that much energy, you wouldn't have lured it out here! What the hell you were thinking! You have no idea how beasts and youkai love people with strong power, they're practically attracted to them like an Oni to sake!_

_I-I never knew…_ thought Alice softly for a moment, before warming herself to get angry again. _You're not supposed to speak to that way, human! I have lived far longer than you!_

_Of course you do, _Rook thought back sarcastically, _ever wondered why your wounds never heal? Ever wondered why you easily got hurt by a stone? Do you have any idea on what you currently are now, huh kid?_

_I am not a child!_

_You're human! _Snapped Rook out of frustration as he leapt over log after log, dashing through the trees in search of Kourindou despite his battered body's complaints. His last remark seemed to have robbed the girl of her voice within her own mind, for she has gone silent.

After a few moments, Rook began to slow his pace as he had reached a familiar sight which told him that he was nearing Kourindou. He glanced down unto the girl on his arms and on the book she kept tightly on her chest. _Power… An artifact that will be able to strengthen one's power…_

Rook shook himself out of his thoughts and finally had himself to come to a halt right before a shop with a sign written in Japanese characters, which Rook somehow understood after a great period of time; Kourindou.

* * *

_Nicolas Note:_

_The Mk.22 belongs to Hideo and his magnificent works_

_It was a more or less beautiful week. Passed the school with flying colors, and strangled my editor once more, same same hehehe._

_I think I may have dropped a reference here somewhere (or maybe it's on the next chapter) but I forgot... Mind finding it for me? Thanks._

_I still don't think that I did my best... Probably because I got disappointed too many times in one day... _

_So see ya next time~! Oh and I almost forgot, I'm four years closer into becoming an adult! Someone give me the Hourai Elixir!_


	10. Chapter 6:The Girl,The World,The History

_Nicolas Note:_

_I'll make this quick. Thank you Dia/Yukina for editing this chapter like the others with your superb skills. This chapter will probably suck without ya!_

_Alright so this chapter will have references, though I don't know how many, so if don't mind can you find them for me? Thanks. To the guys on the review sect, I thank you for your corrections and support, (yes even you. You know who you are)._

_**Disclaimers:I do not own Touhou or any other Touhou related material, Rook is my creation just so you know.**  
_

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**}** **{_Normal_} {**_Hard_**} _{_**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: A quick rest and an unexpected route**

**Year 2000**

**2:39 Anti-meridian**

**Between the Forest and of the Humans, Wonderful Shop of Antique Goods; Kourindou, Gensokyo**

* * *

"I've had Tokiko tend to your little friend so as to make herself actually useful around here other than constantly badger me about books and such," says a bespectacled man with a messy short white hair on his head while wearing black and blue kimono like clothes as he holds a tray of warm tea and placing it down on the counter.

Rinnosuke Morichika, half youkai and owner of Kourindou stood the opposite of the half conscious Rook who currently had his head lying on the school desk he sat on. The shop was small and cluttered with various junk and unusable objects, broken china, broken weed whackers, a spare car engine tucked at the store's corner, and finally the single ceiling fan that had two bright light bulbs attached to it. Good ole Kourindou.

"From what the cranky bird youkai has told me, your friend bore some light injuries all over her person, the back, the legs, the stomach, but don't worry all of them are within my range of healing and aren't life threatening, those enchanted waters that you pointed out earlier has helped us greatly…" continued Rinnosuke as he pulled out an abacus and began to fiddle with its beads. "So… adding another member to your household…. Mr. Rook Yakumo?"

Rook lifted his head just to show his annoyed face, and slam the table of the desk he sat on while saying, "For the last time Morichika, I am warning you, and the next time you say that 'Yakumo' again, I'm going to feed you to Marisa!"

Rinnosuke merely chuckled at his words. "Hmph, it makes sense don't you think? Lady Yukari has blonde hair, Miss Ran has blonde hair, YOU have blonde hair, so it is only proper to call you 'Yakumo' seeing that you fit the group very well"

"Whatever, I hate it when people say that." mumbled Rook, proceeding with his headdesk once more. "Are you the kind of guy who bases the people he meets by their hair color and chucks them into the same drawer?"

"I'm afraid not, good sir." replied the half youkai in turn, his expression was bored as he fiddled with his abacus. The expression must have been a habit of his due to the shop's lack of customers, it was most possible that it was because of that reason, owning a shop that barely has any customers to serve must be very dull.

"About Marisa…" said the shopkeeper all of a sudden, the serious icy tone in his words was more than enough to make Rook understand that the conversation may not end well. Knowing he had grabbed the seemingly young boy's attention, Rinnosuke continued once more. "She came by earlier after… The sudden incident… She was crying and I have no idea why. She said something about you and the shrine, so I am going to ask you once, Mr. Rook, what happened?"

Rook remained silent and avoided eye contact with the shopkeeper for a few seconds before replying. "Mima's gone; Marisa thought I was the one who sealed her when Reimu was the one who did it. The girl's better off knowing _I_ 'killed' her mentor rather than her best friend. She won't be able to handle that…"

"The Evil Spirit was the one responsible for the earth to burst and the sky to fall?" questioned Rinnosuke, setting down his abacus while looking at Rook with a scowl.

"No, she was the one prevented it. She sacrificed herself to coax out the spirit that inhibited Reimu's body, telling us to seal her afterwards…" Rook sat up and placed his feet on the desk with his hands on the back of his head, as he stared at the spinning fan on the ceiling. "Everything had a price… She paid for it, I paid for it, Marisa paid for it, even Yukari… All for the sake of Gensokyo's safety."

"Hmph, and all a common villager could say all day is the incompetence of Gensokyo's protectors, typical if you ask me."

"Aye."

"I would tell Marisa's father of what happened myself, however…"

"You're still thinking about what happened?" asked Rook with an eyebrow raised.

The silver haired shopkeeper released a light sigh before replying. "Yes, if he ever knew…"

"Fine, I'll stop by his house if I have the time."

"Thank you, it is most appreciated. However, Marisa is still distressed, please make sure to explain to him of his daughter's problems. Maybe he would be able to help her in her grief… her not-supposed-to-be grief."

"I'll try, though I may forget about it due to another errand. Yukari will sure have a lot of work to push to me because of the damage from the incident earlier."

"It is understandable, Mr. Rook."

With that, Rinnosuke told Rook that he would be gone for a few minutes as he was about to check on Alice's condition and whether this bird youkai Tokiko was doing her job well, which left Rook all alone in the store of useless junk. A glint near the bottom of a wooden shelf, in which a number of old music albums from the Outside were stacked, caught his eye and immediately hooked his attention. Placing his feet on the ground and standing up, Rook slowly made his way towards the shelf and began to dig through the unusable pile of poorly made antiques. "Hm?"

After grabbing a black book with a picture of two pale hands holding an apple with a title related to a day's time, he did not hesitate to throw it straight into a waste bin without as much a second glance, he finally uncovered a familiar black box beneath the mounds of rubbish. Undoing the metal lock, he slowly opened the lid and reach inside, taking out the very same tranquilizer pistol Yukari gave him.

"Gaps…" he muttered as if it explained everything before placing the weapon back into its container. Carrying the box with him, Rook made his way back to the wooden school desk he was sitting on and placed the box right in front of him as he stared at it.

Placing his two hands at either side of the box, he began to close his eyes and started to reminisce the past through his memories.

"_Hey Rook, what is this?" echoes a little girl's voice._

"_It's what you call a present,"_

"_A present?"_

"_Oi, why don't I have one? I'm the eldest so why do I have none?" barks another voice; this one seems to be a year older than the first one._

"_Lady Remilia, I would like to ask you to keep your voice down, a lady should not raise her voice more than a wind's howl-" chided a softer and quieter young woman's voice._

"_Spare me Patchy! I demand this…. 'Present' or whatever it is now! Come now, Rook, spit it out! Where are you hiding these gifts?"_

"_Big sister, please get off of him! You'll make him fall!"_

"_You have no idea how long it took me to buy Flandre that… GAH!"_

_**THUD**_

"_Aha! I'll be taking your pouch then as compensation for being a bad boy!"_

"_Hey give it back, that's going to be our week's meal, damn it!"_

"_Remi… Give it back to him now… This is trouble, Hong, could you for this mansion's sake please stop them,"_

"_Hai~! Mistress Remilia, Mr. Rook! Stop fighting! Fighting stop! AIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!"_

"_Flandre! How many times do I have to tell you not to swing that thing when inside the mansion! Your weapon is not a toy, act like a REAL vampire!"_

"_Says the one that tries so hard to act mature…"_

"_Shut up Patchouli!"_

"_Aha! I finally got my wallet back!"_

"_Big sister, let's play!"_

"_Wait Flan, NOOO!"_

"_Stop that or else something will break-"_

_**CRASH**_

"_And…There goes the window…. Having fun, Rook?"_

"_Ah, Magician, glad you're okay. Those two can really be hyper at times,"_

"_Hmm… make sure to fix the window once they settle down…"_

"_Hehehe, sure but don't you find it strange? Vampires celebrating Christian holidays?"_

"_To quote Remilia, if there's a moment of festivity then why not celebrate it? That's why festivities are created at the first place… To celebrate… Remilia cares not for simple obstacles as that, you should know that by now… Chess Piece..."_

"_You're right. Oi, no need to be so gloomy! Lighten up, it's Christmas!"_

"_I apologize, it's just my speech has become a habit…"_

"_Well, it seems that those two finally froze in the snow. I better get them now before China starts crying,"_

"_Merry Christmas… Rook,"_

"_Likewise,"_

The vague image of Rook exiting the Scarlet Mansion's lounge, leaving Patchouli behind beside the shattered window as the fire place crackled merrily, warming the cozy room with its heat while Remilia and Flandre were seen outside with their legs sticking out of the snow. On his hands, Rook held a bright red box tied by a dark green ribbon as he closed the doors behind him and continued his way down to the mansion's entrance.

The image starts to blur eventually turning into static similar to that of a broken television set until he was back within the confines of the shop holding not the bright red present but his black box between his hands.

"That memory…" he muttered to himself, "…was my fifteenth Christmas with them…"

The ring of the shop's bell indicated that its keeper has returned. The silver haired half youkai entered the shop once more with a short piece of paper within his hand while holding a pen on the other as he donned a wide grin on his face. Rook raised an eyebrow at the sight for he rarely saw Rinnosuke smile like an idiot before.

_Something must've happened… I wonder what…?_ Thought the boy as he watched the shopkeeper come closer.

"Ah, you're still here. Good, good, because I had some good news for you about your little friend!" said Rinnosuke, quickly grabbing his abacus that was settled at the counter. Pointing his pen at the boy he continued. "Your expenses for our service!"

Rook sweat dropped as he heard those words. "So, same old Rinno, eh? All business and doesn't work for sympathy? You work too much,"

"You should tell that to Lady Yukari's shikigami. Now, about those coins…" said Rinnosuke while extending his hand expectantly to Rook, however the smile on his face turned into a frown as the boy before him showed him the empty pockets he had. "Ah, I see… No money? I could put in your tab—"

"HOLD IT!" exclaimed Rook as he rose to his feet. "How about we barter?"

The shopkeeper seems to be taken aback by this and asked. "Do you have any items for trade?"

_Damn I should've thought about that…_ echoed the boy's mind as he gritted his teeth. The first thing that came in his mind was his coin pouch, however after the battle at the shrine a few hours earlier it was possible that he lost it during that time, and by patting both of his pant pockets his fears were just confirmed. His gaze eventually settled on the box before him. An idea formed within his mind that almost made him smile, however he held it back so he can hide it.

"Sure, how about this container here? It's the only thing I have so it'll probably compensate for my lack of money," says Rook opening the black box's lid and showing what was inside.

Rinnosuke's eyes widened as he watched. "A gun? This is from the outside, is it not? I hear that it is a convenient weapon wielded by most Outsider's these days,"

"Yup, so how about it? I'll give you this baby here in exchange for having me and my friend stay here for the night. I'm probably paying more than I should by doing this, but I find it fair," replies the boy with a sly smile curled upon his lips.

The skeptical shopkeeper seems to be oblivious of this and makes his decision. "Very well, I agree. You may stay until morning and I will have the bird tend to your friend's injuries."

Rook hands the shopkeeper the box and shakes his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you!" says Rook with a bright smile.

"I should be the one saying that." mutters Rinnosuke.

With that, the shopkeeper gestures the boy towards the back door and eventually to the stairs where the second floor of the shop lies. Rook opens his bedroom door and wastes no time examining his surroundings as the exhaustion from the events earlier that day had finally caught up to him making him fall face first into his soft cotton like bed.

_I'll get you for this, Magician, but… until then….. *yawn* zzzzzz_

The thought was unfinished for not a moment too soon the boy fell asleep into the world of dreams.

* * *

**Year 2000**

**8:00 Post-meridian, some hours ago during the battle within Gensokyo**

**Scarlet Mansion, Voile, the Outside**

* * *

"….Rest assured she will be fine for now," says the young silver haired maid as she fought to keep her face devoid of emotion, though it was obvious that she was worried for her Mistress' health. "My Lady simply overworked herself during the time and all she would require now is a well earned rest…"

Patchouli Knowledge placed her coffee back on her table as she listened to Sakuya's report while reading one of her Grimoires to pass the time. Her assistant stood diligently at her side, holding a silver tray right on her front while keeping her head low at the presence of her master.

"Thank you, Sakuya, you may return to Lady Remilia now." replied the magician as she flipped a page of her book. The maid bowed once before disappearing, leaving no trace that she was even there in the first place. Once Sakuya had gone and left, the tiny wings on Koakuma's head fluttered nervously as she was once again left alone with her master.

"It seems like the plan has proven successful after all, surely this would teach him to challenge me and this mansion alone," said Patchouli while glancing over her shoulder to look at the little devil beside her. "Do you have anything to say, Koa?"

"Um, forgive me if I may be a tad bit rude, but isn't it just…. Wrong to use your own friend for your own reasons?"

"Koa, you saw how Remilia acted; she was willing to retaliate against Rook even if it meant harming herself. You do know how _she_ too is protective of the little sister? I did warn her about using too much of her fate ability, yet she was so stubborn as always and did it anyway. I did try Koa, I really did but… Remilia Scarlet is always Remilia Scarlet, and always will."

Koakuma bent her back and dipped her head low. "My apologies, mistress. However you still allowed her to go on with her crude way of delivering a blow towards the Chess Piece for it was to your own benefit, isn't that right, mistress?"

"Indeed, or rather that's just one of the reasons" replies Patchouli, taking another sip of her coffee while turning another page on her book.

"And the others are?"

"Remilia's powers are similar to a roulette. There's the chance that it will hit the jackpot or the winnings, and there's also the chance that it will hit something bad, in the Chess Piece's case however, the kind of fate Remilia wants to cast into him would be a bad fate, ranging from a horrible death to something much, much worse…"

"So, seeing that Lady Remilia has exhausted herself to the point of fainting must mean…."

"It must mean that something had just happened to Rook, something very interesting," finished the Magician, setting her gaze upon a black rune like writing on one of her book's pages, the symbol of a bird, flying over the moon and under the sun. The inscription written on the bottom of the page was written in blood red ink saying; _Thor will drown within the serpent's venom_. _Regretless he sinks, satisfied, he sleeps fearless slumbers, deep, deep within the serpent's venom._

Patchouli turned another page and upon it was a drawing of a thin serpent with boney branches protruding from its back while crystal prisms grew from its branches.

"Fate has been decreed." mutters the Magician, causing her assistant to look at her with a worried expression.

* * *

Deep within the deepest level of the mansion's basement, a loud banging echoed throughout the hollow chamber. Whatever was ramming against the cold stone walls was so strong that the very force of its crashes made the ceiling tremble and the floor to shake. The green clad door guard of the mansion leaned with her arms against the large iron double doors as if pushing it back to keep it from collapsing upon her. Her face was strained from the effort she was giving while sweat trickled down from her forehead as she went on with her task.

With every bang and crashes, Meiling could not help but whimper at the sounds and echoes the prisoner she kept within emitted. Sweat was not the only thing that fell from her face but tears from her eyes. She felt sorry for her prisoner, she did not want to her dearest friend cry; she did not want to hear it anymore, no longer! It has been days since the infiltration of the mansion and Flandre has never ceased crying and shouting. Meiling could tell that the little vampire's voice was cracked and weak, however kept on going despite that.

With every bang that sounded, the vampire within the basement kept repeating her screams. "DON'T HURT HIM! *sob* PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM I'M BEGGING YOU MEILING! FLANDRE WILL DO ANYTHING, PLEASE STOP SISTER! PLEASE DON'T LET HER HURT HIM!"

Hong who has been carrying on with the task of keeping Flandre Scarlet from escaping the confines of her 'bedroom', finally had enough and forced herself to at least reply, "I'm sorry Lady Flandre, but I can't let you! Not after what that man did to you, I can't fail on my duties once more!"

**Silence**

Hong opened her eyes in shock at the sudden silence that spread throughout the hollow chamber. The gate keeper cautiously took her hands from the iron door and stepped a few paces away from the iron door, staring in fear at what may happen next.

**Bang**

Hong winced at the sound, her limbs paralyzed in terror making her unable to move.

"_**I'll break you then…" **_rasped a warped voice from behind the iron doors, and with it, a small giggle that also seemed to be annoyed. **"**_**Flandre tried hard to pretend to be good to you… ne, Mei. Ling. Nee. san?" **_

**Bang**

"_**I'll kill all of you…." ***_**BANG* "**_**I said 'please' didn't I?" ***_**BANG***_** "Yet why? Why… Why can't you do as Flandre says?" ***_**BANG***_** "Flandre had been a good girl…" BANG "But you haven't listen to anything Flandre says even though she tries hard to be nice…" BANG "Flandre will do something if any of you… break him…" ***_**BANG*** Ten nerve wrecking minutes of solid silence passed by before the girl continued, this time it seemed a bit amused.

"…_**Do you want to know?" **_

Hong Meiling had enough time to utter a quick yelp before an explosion of scarlet and crimson enveloped her, causing her to black out or maybe more than that.

* * *

**Year ?**

**?:? Anti- meridian**

**Wonderland**

* * *

Alice sat on her throne with a sad expression. All around her, lights glowed in different ray of colors gleaming at the same time and they sparked as her most favored doll guards stood cautiously at her side. The room was swathed with deceiving beauties and sparkles of sophisticated lights. The girl had her head rested on her right fist as she gazed into nothingness, dwelling herself in her own thoughts. All around her 'throne room', unfinished dolls of every shape and sizes hung from thin strings that came down from the marble ceiling. Strange emblems embroidered on silk red cloth also hung from each pillar that stood in rows around the throne room. The path leading to Alice's chair was covered in royal blue carpet with yellow trimmings at the sides.

A few steps elevated the throne from the ground so that Alice would have a good view of her surroundings. Butterflies flew while the disembodied songs of the birds sounded from nowhere in particular as Alice continued to sort out her thoughts.

The little girl's eyes trailed towards the small opening at the door which was on the very end of the throne room. Even from afar, the girl could see it….. The dark grey void of her broken world, the world she had failed to create... Wonderland.

Raging winds with the force of fifty fierce gales and five hurricanes swirled all around the grey walled flying castle created by the little girl. Below the flying castle lay a dreadful wasteland, filled with the roar of the sandstorm and that of the howls of the abominations that thread it. The grey stone walled castle had three black chains tied below it as if keeping it from flying too far away from the ground. The fortified castle had four watchtowers surrounding it while being enveloped by the stone walls. Its condition remained pristine despite the harsh gust of the storm.

From within the castle, this fact was present within Alice's mind, after all she created this world it was only obvious that she would know the happenings all around it. However, she felt not pride or happiness for this realm of hers, but disgust… After all, this is a broken world created during her time of rage and fury, filled with her darkest emotions in the form of the storm and abominations below.

To her, this world was ugly yet it was her only refuge left from the harsh grasp of reality. The reality of what she really was.

Alice gazed up at the colorful stained glass above her. The girl rose from her seat and slowly descended the steps before her throne as she turned around to see a similar stained glass behind her chair. The glass bore the image of a little girl that bore striking similarities with Alice who was smiling as she sat on the lap of a woman with white hair and a kind smile.

A single tear traced down the girl's cheek and eventually falling down the floor as she whispered seven words. "Why did you lie to me, Mother?"

A card fell from above eventually followed by more until it began to rain cards all bearing the same symbols; Queen of hearts, however the card Alice managed to retrieve was different for it was a joker card. Alice did not even flinch as a stone pillar pierced through the floor and breaking through the ceiling. Neither did she look fazed as the glass of her beautiful windows cracked and shattered. The smooth marble surface of the right wall crumbled at the might of an unknown force, yet still Alice gazed at the joker card with an emotionless expression.

The dolls that hung from the ceiling fell as their thin threads were cut loose, causing them to fall to the ground. A few seconds passed and the dolls slowly rose to up, floating if they had no legs or standing if they did. The crumbled debris of the fallen wall began to gather once more on the wall, forming a large arch where a polished double door suddenly appeared.

Outside, it seemed like that the building was growing larger by the looks of the rising towers, which a chunk of them would fall to the ground, causing more debris and hindrance and also, the increasing bulk of the walls. The entire fortress shook as it was finally finishing its transformation into an unbreakable stronghold. On the topmost tower a single blue flag rose.

Within the castle, the girl was now once more sitting on her throne now with a battalion of dolls armed with spears and lances surrounding her. A black book sat on her lap as she gazed at her grand castle. The carpets had changed from sky blue to cherry red with gold trimmings on the sides. Marble pillars stood at the sides of the throne room, keeping the equally majestic roof in place. The ceiling was decorated in fine golden chandeliers complimented well with the medieval gray stone above it.

"This is but a girl's fantasy," whispers Alice, "However I will soon make it real… Forgive me, Mother"

* * *

**Year 2000**

**10:32 Anti-meridian**

**Wheel Chair, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rook noticed a tear fall from Alice's sleeping face, which made the boy feel a tiny bit of worry on his part. Not wanting to disturb her sleep, he continued to push the wheel chair she was on.

**Some hours ago**

"_Hm? You need to leave now?" asked Rinnosuke as he looked up from his outdated newspaper from the Outside. "Why? You need your full strength in case you will have to run errands for lady Yukari the moment you enter the village, and your friend is still asleep it wouldn't be wise to wake her after seeing what she has done to Tokiko"_

"_I'll manage, besides I'm in a hurry. Who knows how many villagers need help and the Hakutaku won't be able to protect them all with Reimu down for the count for now" replied Rook while trying on a pair of grey sneakers from the shop's junk pile. "Now as for our sleeping beauty, she'll have to be patient with me…. Do you have a wheel chair I can borrow?"_

After that, Rinnosuke was more than happy to give Rook a wheel chair to place the sleeping Alice in and send them both of with a smile on his face. Rook noticed that as he left Kourindou, his eye managed to catch a glimpse of his black box that sat on the desk he stayed on before going to bed that night. The oblivious Rinnosuke did not notice the cunning smile on Rook's features as the shopkeeper closed the door. The boy counted to ten before reaching in the large pouch that was cleverly hidden at the back of the wheel chair, and from within it the black box appeared.

Rook can almost imagine the look on Rinnosuke's face once he realized what the boy had planned.

It was already too late for the oblivious shopkeeper to chase him down for they were already on the outskirts of the human village, Rook would already arrive to his destination after a few more minutes. The sun was bright and the cool morning air is still present, there were no youkais around so it was safe to travel through the forest, the birds hummed happily while the bees went on with their respective tasks, spots of light passed through the many leaves above the two people that passed by the forest, and Alice was still asleep.

The girl must have been very tired for she has not woken up even once after being put to sleep last night. Her clothes were now new and repaired thanks to the bird youkai named Tokiko, who seemed to have learned the basic skills needed to sew the rips and cuts that the little blonde girl had on her clothes. Rook on the other hand had his brown shirt replaced by a dark blue one with its sleeves reaching his wrists. He also had a new pair of pants worn and gray running shoes on his feet. His new shirt had the same design as his brown one, the symbol of the Yakumo eye on his left shoulder while three white stripes were embroidered on his right. His black gloves were now replaced by violet ones yet still bore the symbols of ying and yang on their metal plates.

Kourindou also served as a one stop shop for new clothes for certain people and Rook was one of them.

Ah, a peaceful day in Gensokyo, so unlike the fiasco that just happened last night.

"Heh, I wonder how long this calmness would last," said Rook at the trees at the sides of the path. Not even a fairy was flying about; they were probably too frightened to venture far from their homes after what just happened. "It isn't only humans that were affected by this incident…" Rook halted on his tracks and looked up the sky above him. "But the youkais too… This world was made by a youkai, so technically it's supposed to be a paradise for them, not for us…"

**ROAAAAAAARRRRRR**

A grin spread upon the boy's face. "But that doesn't mean that mean that we can't make it hell for them either, alright missy hold on tight!"

Rook kept a firm grip on the wheel chair's handles as he broke into a sprint towards the sound.

Rook arrived at the Human Village fifteen minutes later and was greeted the sight of a large red skinned monster falling flat on its back on top of a half rebuilt house, while men in makeshift armors continued their assault on the beast as the others of their group held it down with their grappling hooks. The beast had a humanoid form with its buff arms and broad back; however its legs seemed short and stout yet still muscular enough to hold the beast's weight while standing up. It had burning white eyes and two jet black horns while it wore what looked like enlarged versions of an ancient Japanese soldier's armor.

"It must be a relative of the Oni race, I wonder who let it out…" says Rook while placing the wheel chair Alice was in behind a house.

"HEEEELLLPPPP MEEE!"

"Someone get him! They're taking him away!"

"Bows at the ready!"

"You fool you'll kill him!"

Rook took out the black box from the wheel chair's pouch and drew out his tranquilizer gun. Putting his gun's safety off and prepared it for firing, Rook headed out for the sound of the voices.

Running out from behind the house, the boy had to duck as something very large creature passed overhead. He watched an adult human fly as a large bat youkai held him by his armpits, its jaw secreting with a waterfall of acid like substance that fell on the man's face and body, making him scream and writhe in pain before finally going limp on the creature's iron grip.

Gritting his teeth, Rook raised his weapon and began firing. With each shot, Rook had to replace the bullets to keep the gun usable if he remembered what Yukari had said clearly. It may have been the distance or maybe he just really had a bad aim, for the bat youkai remained unfazed by his attack and made a fierce dive towards him, shrieking in an attempt to distract him before tearing him apart.

Of course the beast's screams did the trick; Rook was forced to clamp his ears with his hands in order to block the sound out. The boy tried to move out of the bat youkai's way, yet he found that his limbs had frozen in place, probably by fear. _Oh come on, why now?_ He thought angrily as he struggled to move.

The bat youkai opened its beaklike jaw and proceeded to rip Rook's head off from his neck, that is until an iron spear shot from behind the boy and impale itself on the creature's belly as it was four feet in front of him. The villager who just saved Rook's life passed by and mouthed to him, _shoot it_.

Rook was more than happy to oblige and pointed his gun at the beast's face and pulled the trigger. Being a tranquilizer gun, the weapon uttered a loud bark as a small green dart flew from its cylinder and stuck itself on the beast's leathery forehead in semi pointblank range.

The bat youkai began to shriek loudly, until it was put out of its misery by a spear to the neck by Rook's savior and many arrows to the torso by the other villagers. The creature fell on the ground dead with its jaw still secreting that acid like liquid from its jaw.

Rook's ears were still ringing as he watched the other of the village's warriors check their fallen companion of he was still alive, sadly, the sight of one of the soldier's shaking head indicated that the villager was long gone. That however was the least of Rook's problems; once the youkai had him he was already dead to begin with. _This_ was Gensokyo.

"Nice spear work, Miss Hakutaku, would you mind telling me what other secrets you do you have?" asked Rook while stuffing a finger in his right ear to check its hearing.

The villager who had just saved him took off her makeshift helmet, allowing her long silver hair to fall on her back as she turned her piercing brown eyes towards the boy. Keine Kamishirasawa wore a pure white long sleeved shirt under a fair amount of light armor on her torso, which looked a bit ancient and rusty, and a dirtied white pants that was also armored in greaves, almost making her look like a common foot soldier except for the fact that she was the only one properly armored from the group. At her side she held what Rook has mistaken for a spear was actually a long pitch fork while her left arm held her helm tight.

"Your eyesight is too sharp for your own good, Border of Phantasm's Courier." replied Keine coldly.

"Heh, I know that I have many titles, but Rook is just fine." said Rook sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. _Though I was popularly known as Chess Piece (Courtesy of Patchouli and Yukari)_

The were-hakutaku's expression softened and eventually cracked a smile as she extended a hand towards the boy in a friendly gesture. "My apologies, I respect my _elders_ very much."

"Jealous that you're not the oldest person in this village anymore?" asked Rook with an amused expression.

Keine only giggled at his words before an earth rattling explosion shook the ground. The red humanoid beast was now rising once more while Keine shouted "Don't let it get near the side of the village!"

At her word, the other villagers hefted their clubs and grappling hooks while rushing towards the lumbering beast. Rook watched as the villagers attempted to divert the youkai's path with their weapons as if they were doing this their entire lives. Three men were swept away by the giant's thick arm; however everything seemed to go according to plan that is until Alice…

"You stupid little girl, what the hell are you doing?" roared Rook as he saw Alice kneel beside the man that the beast was going to finish off. The girl gave him no reply as she stared at the beast's raised hand ready to crush her with emotionless eyes. The creature's arm fell and the injured man had enough time to scream before a burning yellow light glowed dangerously bright around the area. The assaulting villagers ceased their attacks as they watched the lumbering giant fall once more and the light to disappear, revealing a frightened man cowering in fear with questionable liquid staining his trousers. There was no sign of the blonde little girl.

Once the man has been moved, Rook stood on the same spot as the girl he had found had been and immediately spotted a card on floor.

_I thank you for your assistance, but don't come and find me. I have some travelling to do._

_-Alice_

The footsteps that Rook heard at his side indicated that Keine has approached him. "A friend of yours? I can request a search party to find her."

"Just an acquaintance and there's no need for that, she's more than capable of defending herself as she has demonstrated just now…" Rook pocketed the card and turned to face the were-hakutaku, "Take me to the village; I have some business with the child of Miare…"

_Queen of Hearts, huh?_

* * *

Alice had her back against a tree as she peeked past it to see Rook talking to Keine. Once the two began walking away, Alice turned her head towards the forest and began to walk once more. The soft forest grass being crushed under her, she extended a hand at the abundant shrubs around her, feeling the smoothness of their leaves and taking in as much of their refreshing aroma. She would have to escape he crowded life for awhile and live a quieter one, this world and Makai had some things in common, and that is their rowdiness. That boy….. She would have to prove him wrong…. Along with her mother and her sisters, yes… But for now she'll need a house to live in, but it seems like she has already found the suitable place to build it.

Opening and turning the pages of her black book, she began to hum a soft tune. The familiar weight of this book provided comfort for her even if she was alone… She would have to endure the loneliness for a short while before she expels it. After turning a number of pages she had finally come across the most intriguing spell she had remembered ever since that human boy told her something unbelievable…. The process of a human turning youkai…

It would be magnificent indeed… If this world would turn into her own personal wonderland, alas she would have to wait and learn more of this world, maybe she would find some more interesting people here just like that boy.

"Hm? Is someone there?" calls out Alice as she hears the faint sounds of sobbing at the distance.

Peering behind a large oak a smile curled on Alice's lips. "Why hello there~! Fancy a little chat, Miss?"

* * *

**Year 2000**

**3:25 Post-meridian**

**Human Village, heading towards the Hieda house, Gensokyo**

* * *

As Rook followed the history teacher through near destroyed village, he was able to notice the many wrecked houses and that of the damaged properties around him. Villagers running past him in their various tasks to repair the village back to its former glory. Being humans who live a peaceful yet alert life they are able to construct various structures in a short amount of time. One proof of this is the near completion of the damaged village hall, in which few elders are gathered within a meeting for the settlement's reparation. Glancing to his side, Rook spotted a small group of soldiers making rounds around the village, their makeshift weapons held at their sides as was their shields.

_I could make them better swords and armor but I don't have time, I'll leave it to the smiths to take care of that, _thought Rook while watching the group turn to a corner and disappear from view.

Rook has now entered the village square which seems to have turned into a temporary evacuation center for the many homeless villagers and for the few wounded villagers that either engaged the youkai that attacked earlier or from the events that had occurred last night. Rook's gaze trailed towards the majestic statue of the great Dragon God which stood at the very center of the village, the deep shade of crimson that was present within the statue's eyes has had the villagers mutter to each other nervously and speak in hush tones. Many of the villagers were kneeling before the statue, muttering silent prayers in an attempt to appease the great Dragon of his wrath, and so that he would bless them instead of unleashing freak catastrophes upon them….. Selfish fools.

"Hurry, I have sent a message to Lady Hieda, it is best not to keep her waiting," reminded Keine, glancing over her shoulder to look at Rook. "Are you okay?"

Rook broke away from his trance and replied uneasily, yet he still had his eyes on the statue. "Uh yeah, sure, it's just that the place has an unfamiliar feel to it compared to recent times."

"Everyone feels that way, even I. However it is the children that we adults worry most…" said Keine in a sad tone.

"I see… Hope they're okay." Suddenly, Rook remembered Flandre as Keine mentioned 'children'. And his eyes softened.

"Don't worry, they're fine. We would be able to increase the village's defenses with an extra pair of hands but after the Hakurei miko failed to appear when she was needed we were forced to work by ourselves…. I even had my friend to help us much to her dislike, but worry not I convinced her real good."

"Hm, Reimu failed to appear? I can explain that, maybe you can join my conversation with Akyuu later, it should clear few questions of yours."

"Maybe I will…"

The village was similar to that of Mayohiga, minus the eerie atmosphere and that of the sick illusions that takes place during one's stay. Rook looked back towards the crowd that surrounded the statue which were still kneeling and praying before the Dragon God, before setting his gaze forward once more and follow Keine from behind.

Gensokyo being a 'paradise' for mostly youkais and other supernatural beings rather than humans, there are very few settlements stood for safely accommodating humans with the Human Village being one of them. From what Rook can remember, there were supposed to be several more village scattered around the land of Gensokyo like across the seemingly endless forests and that of the wide plains that stretched farther than the eye can see, then again it may be an illusion created by the Great Barrier, no one knows the true limits of what the Border can occupy. Sure there were humans and they usually come and go to the village during times yet they never stuck together to form a greater force to withstand the more ruthless and greater youkai that come to attack them.

The answer to that is because the humans are content with their peaceful life and the statement above is only from an Outsider's possible view of the place and Rook has kept this question stored within his mind so that he would be able to provide an answer for it once he meets an Outsider in need of the information. Gensokyo's humans are way different to those of the outside. Greater youkai attack less or would attack youkais with similar strength than busy them with hunting for humans. It is only the younger or lesser youkai that would attack so aggressively due to their lack of wisdom and age. Even though they are only lesser youkais they still prove a great threat to a lone human, so it is recommended for a villager to avoid straying away from the Village during nighttime. The village defenses should prove more than enough to combat small raids of lesser youkais, it is only when a powerful Greater youkai decides to cause an incident that the villagers call upon the Hakurei Maiden to aid them.

In the Human Village, _Outsiders _are always welcome seeing that a quarter of their population is consisted of people from the Outside, so if an Outsider would somehow luckily made their way to the village without the assistance of others or that of the Hakurei Maiden the villagers would gladly accept him or her with great hospitality.

Keine Kamishirasawa, the were-hakutaku that now travels before Rook as they passed the place where a pub was supposed to be standing, (in which five men stood on all fours crying their hearts out, weeping and wailing about the loss of their fine made sake brewed by the prettiest girl of the village) works part time as a history teacher for the children of the village, and as the village protector herself. Even though she was part youkai and had no further obligations to the village other than being a teacher, she willingly risks her life to protect the village from all sorts of threats and disasters every time the Hakurei Maiden fails to appear. By doing just that, she has gathered the respect and admiration of many of the villagers for most of them were either saved or taught by her when they were young. There is a saying that says if you are an Outsider, Keine was the safest person to be with once you get to her good side, which is all the time, make her mad once and one will experience the pain that will last the ages.

There were very few notable structures built within the village aside from the 'grand' village hall, there was the Hieda House in which most of Gensokyo's history articles are stored. Keine was known to visit it frequently to gather subjects about her future lessons, though this was already common knowledge to almost all. There was also Keine's school in which she teaches her lessons to the children and to those who seek to pursue greater knowledge than what they were taught when they were young. There were a number of scholars in the village that aid the village leader and elders when the time demands it, though Keine and Lady Akyuu were probably the most wisest being unique individuals.

"NO, RUN! LET EVERYONE RUN! IF WE STAY WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE, MOTHER, FATHER HELP ME!" screamed a desperate voice of a young girl within the familiar sight of Keine's school.

The sounds of the shouts and wails caught Rook's attention and almost made him sprint towards the source, yet he held himself back and sent a questioning glance at Keine who responded in a sad tone. "Even if no one had been killed or injured during the incident, there were still some that generated traumas during the event. The very thought of the world ending scared them out of their wits and…. Eventually reduce them to that. We have been trying to heal them once everyone has calmed down, yet not even our finest healers and doctors can soothe them of their pain"

"Of course none of you can help them for their sickness is not physical but mental; the experience must have scarred their soul or something. This is something only time would be able to heal" said Rook turning his gaze back at the school where women and men alike kept running in and out at random intervals. _ Some wounds are too deep to heal, poor things._

"We were forced to use the school as an infirmary for those who have suffered those conditions, luckily for us there were only six individuals who have been traumatized, we would be able to take better care for them that way. Having way too many people with that kind of case will be too much for us to handle, thank the Hakurei that such a thing didn't happen or we wouldn't even be able to mobilize most of the able villagers to defend the village from youkais that would take advantage of the situation. Everything should be back to normal after a little while" says Keine trying hard to be optimistic, yet the lack of light within her eyes betrayed the gesture. She knew that this was going to go down in history, whether she likes it or not. Being an event that involves the great Barrier she would not be able to alter it so that everyone may forget the terrifying experience. This was a situation she could do anything about but endure.

"L-let's move on, shall we?" she offered turning her back towards her own school. It was obvious that she not happy about the current proceedings and wanted to nothing more than to forget about it.

Rook said nothing and went to follow her lead.

_Is this what they call Karma? _Thought Rook as he glanced from his left side to his right and back again watching people go by their business and help each other. _That girl. Makai. This incident… Could it be all related? An incident erupting out of nowhere right after the incident in Makai was resolved, Reimu being possessed, a girl boasting about her demon heritage when she was human herself. Demons… those folk are only native in Makai, could this be… no, Marisa already explained it to me. Reimu was possessed by a random spirit right after her battle and was unlucky enough to have been possessed by a strong one, Makai's goddess could not have a hand in that for it was just a coincidence…. But what about Alice? A kid with a very powerful magic artifact in her hands appear just hours after the incident last night is just too suspicious. Yes, she's from Makai but I still don't know her reasons of her arrival here, it's possible that she was spirited away here by accident after the Mystic Square incident, but could there be more? I'll have to look into this later…._

"We're here," announces Keine turning her head towards Rook, who looked up just to find himself before a fancy oriental styled mansion. "Welcome to the Hieda House, home of Gensokyo's history."

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: You're probably wondering about wonderland, eh? The wiki says that Wonderland is a part of Makai, but here I made it something like being a part of Alice's mind. An imaginary world she failed to create due to miscalculations. The inspiration of Wonderland's full transformation would be the Black Rock Shooter series, yeah I love BRS and with Yukina/Dia editing it only made it better._

_From my point of view, Rook did quite a lot of thinking, huh? hehehehe..._

_So we arrive at the human village and we see its poor state with the people panicking... Explaining a few things about the village was very taxing on my part and most of the facts there are from the wiki and PMiss..._

_So yes about those references, did you find them all? No? Yes? Tell me about it on the reviews. Now before I end this chapter I have just to ask... Any violent reactions? No? very well... GOOD NIGHT FOLKS, SEE YA NEXT WEEK!_


	11. Chapter 7: The Poem and The Mastermind

_Nicolas Notes: I'm back! And Laevateinn is back as well! Yes, me and my editor did our best at our peaks I tell you! So enjoy it because we have the death note!_

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**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**}** **{**_Normal_**} {_Hard_} {**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

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**CHAPTER 7: The shrine maiden, the chronicler, and the poem**

**Year 2000**

**3:30 Post-meridian**

**Human Village, Hieda House, Gensokyo**

* * *

Passing by the wavy stone path, Rook and Keine made their way towards the entrance of the Hieda mansion. A pond filled with crystal clear water rippled at the gentle touch of the passing wind, while it was surrounded by smooth white stones and covered with lily pads.

Tall white walls surrounded the Japanese styled mansion, sporting dark colored roofs and oval windows every three feet. A large tree stood just behind the entrance within the mansion in which added to the serene atmosphere. The mansion was divided into three buildings, the main wing, the east wing and the west wing.

The main wing is where Akyuu no Hieda, Gensokyo's chronicler, goes about with her daily tasks and studies. She would occasionally invite a few humans and youkai to her home in order to interview them about themselves and their abilities.

It is said that her house is composed mostly of scrolls of various sorts ranging from new scrolls to ancient ones dating back into ancient Japan, and Rook, who has visited the mansion a number of times for tea, has confirmed this rumor which meant that if the Child of Miare's house ever caught fire then it's goodbye to the million articles, a whole millennia of information gone in a flash.

The main wing was composed of a humble two storey building large enough to accommodate a family of twelve, however it seems to be that Akyuu lived with no one but her servants which meant that the said servants get the spare sleeping quarters.

For some odd reason, the Lady of the house takes in homeless people with no place to live and employs them as they stay under her roof. Most of her servants are people who grew to respect the young girl who has saved them from starvation as they hid in the dark alleys of the village.

News of this spread like wild fire a few years ago, which made the little girl of the age of seven's respect from the people to grow, though other people seem to shake their heads in disapproval in Akyuu's decision, muttering to themselves that such an act will be the girl's downfall.

However it has been years ever since and Akyuu's servants are as loyal as ever, guarding her home, seeing that she had everything she needed, even going as far as interviewing various people for here and bringing back the information she needs. Such dedication is commendable indeed, and that is because of the Child of Miare's kindness.

"The place hasn't changed much," says Rook as he undoes his shoe laces and steps into the smooth surface of the house's wooden floor. "Slippery…."

"Watch your step," warns Keine as she comes to a halt before the sliding door that led within the house, having undone her boots already. "Miss Hieda should probably be at the back, writing the events of last night so you better mind your manners; I know how you act Mr. Rook."

"It's not like she's that busy, right?" says Rook as he follows Keine in entering the house with a light chuckle. The guards at the gate, dressed similar to what Keine was wearing now, has relayed Lady Akyuu's message to them that they may enter the mansion anytime they want, so it was okay just barging into the house right?Passing by the oriental living room and eventually going by the dining room which was disappointingly devoid of food, Rook has finally found the young chronicler in a situation where he least expected her to be.

Akyuu herself stood on top of a wooden crate, issuing orders to her servants that kept running back and forth from her as they did their best in tending to the homeless villagers that have come from the neighboring villages to seek help.

Beds and futons were laid at the parts little parts that could provide shade. The backyard of the Hieda House was dotted with tents and of people resting or helping out with the relief operations.

Rook turned his shocked gaze at the back gate which was spread wide open, allowing people with various problems to enter the mansion, asking for food and clothing in which Akyuu's servants distributed generously. The line in which ended at the side of the gate seemed to have begun from the village square just by looking at the number of people that have gathered.

Akyuu stood tall on her wooden crate in compensation for her short stature, wearing a long yellow kimono-like outfit with flower patterned sleeves while wearing a green vest underneath as she wore a shortened hakama skirt that was separated by a red, white laced obi around her waist.

If one would look closer into her determined eyes as she ordered her employees around to make the villagers as comfortable as possible, one would be able to see the flower-like shape within her purple eyes, a mark of a Hieda with the power to remember everything she sees.

A few seconds passed before Akyuu spotted them and climb down her wooden crate, calling unto what looked like one of her most trusted servants to substitute for her. Once she has left the servant that was now in charge, she began to make her way towards her two new visitors with Keine waving a hand towards her in greeting.

"Rook and Ms. Kamishirasawa, what brings me this unexpected visit from both of you?" asks Akyuu serenely as she places both of her hands within her sleeves.

Her appearance and age would be similar to that of a child reaching puberty with the youthful spark within her eyes and tiny freckles on her face, yet her knowledge and wisdom rivals that of greater youkais. Personality wise, she would lean more towards an adult stuck in a child's body. For a girl of her age, she surely acts mature and composed.

"Lady Hieda, a pleasure to meet you once again," says Rook with a light bow before turning to face Akyuu once more, "Actually I'm the one seeking your assistance. Will you be able to help me?"

"Why of course!" replies the Child of Miare with no hesitation, "It is always a pleasure to help friends! Especially old ones!"

_Is she trying to provoke me? _Thought Rook as a vein appeared on his forehead while maintaining a bright smile.

"Why thank you, though I apologize to disturb you when you are in the middle of such hectic schedule," says Rook looking slightly a bit sheepish as he scratched the back of his head, yet it seemed like his smile became a little serious as he continues, "I suggest we move to a more quiet area to continue our discussion, this place is a little too loud…"

Sensing the urgency in his tone, Akyuu pondered for a moment before answering, "I agree, how about my study room? It is located in the second floor and is reasonably quiet enough. My most important documents are located there as well so I may be able to answer whatever question you have in mind. Ah, no need to worry Kanzaki, I assure you that I'll be safe, be sure to oversee things here while I am gone, okay?"

The guard who offered to escort Akyuu bowed once and returned to his patrol, informing the other servants as he walked by.

"So what is it did you want to ask me, Rook-san?" asked Akyuu sweetly, though Rook noticed the cunning glint in her eyes.

"It's about Gensokyo and Makai. I want to know the contract between Gensokyo and Makai," responded Rook.

* * *

"Why is it that you ask about this now? Makai of all things, why can't it be like the third leader of the human village or the most skillful youkai exterminator? Why does it have to be Makai?"

"This is serious, Keine, I need this information now, Reimu's in no state to investigate the events that had occurred any further and Marisa is still mourning for her lost master this is why I'm forced to do this because those two aren't exactly in their best shape. Once I know more about what we're dealing with, the better…"

"It's the 'know your enemy' tactic, is it? Rook, there is nothing good that will come out of this, the Human Village has more than enough dealing with those demons from that realm!"

"He has a point, Ms. Keine, unlike the shrine maiden, we must realize what we are facing before charging into the battle field. Who knows what sorts of tricks those demons folk have in store for us and the best way to counter such a thing is to look back into History."

Akyuu releases the dozens of scrolls that she held on her arms into the table, startling the boy and the history teacher from their argument. The three were now inside the Child of Miare's personal study in which the most important documents of the Hieda House is stored.

The floor was covered with a dark green colored rug with white trimmings, while the dandelion yellow walls were blocked by shelves filled with dusty scrolls and aged tomes. A vase and a picture sat on top of a drawer that probably held more articles from various youkais and humans.

Meanwhile, Rook and Keine were just arguing in front of Akyuu's large English made desk, which seemed to appear to be very, very old while Akyuu herself was busy rummaging around the shelf on the right from where the door is facing.

"Ago was fussier about his stuff than you." comments Rook, while crossing his arms as he watched Akyuu organize the many scrolls that she has scattered around.

"Alright, down to business," huffed Keine with a scowl on her face as she placed her left hand on her hip while her right was pointing at the boy before her, "Why would you want to know about the history of Makai and Gensokyo, Mr. Rook? Surely it isn't anything related to your job, right? For Lady Yukari already knows this very well being the one who made the two worlds connect."

Rook stared at Keine's scowling face before turning his gaze towards Akyuu, who was staring back at him as she arrange her scrolls, he stared back once more at the history teacher as he sighs in defeat.

"Fine and you're wrong, I am doing this because of my job." says Rook as he addressed Keine.

And so Rook began to recount his tale from his story time with Chen to the meeting with the mysterious girl in which he forgot to ask her name. During his explanation, he greatly emphasized the threat of not just one but many more evil spirits roaming about, especially after the incident last night.

"The amount of energy that was released last night will be enough to lure an entire army of these spirits to the shrine," Rook was saying as he perched himself at the top of the white drawer, examining the vase within his hand while continuing, "Proof that youkais will be drawn to an area with high concentration of mana is last night, a serpent from the underground rivers attacked me and my companion as we made our way towards Kourindou. We were lucky enough for the serpent that appeared before us was just a hatchling. Who knows what more monsters the places with high energy levels would attract, younger and more inexperienced youkais would immediately hunt for these energy pools in order to quicken the process of their growth, giving them power like no other for a youkai of their age,"

"But what of the evil spirits?" asked Akyuu as she rested her head on her right fist while listening to Rook's story.

"Yeah, I'm getting to that," excused Rook, "So if something like that is possible in an open area in which I sensed a humble amount of energy from those healing waters, how much more in the shrine where there's probably high levels of said energy gathered? Wouldn't youkai of all shapes, sizes, and nature go for the kill right now?"

"So the reason the Hakurei Maiden didn't rush to our aid last night is because she was battling you while being possessed an evil spirit?" questioned Keine , her face a bit more relaxed now than it was earlier, yet she has now adopted a worried expression.

"Yes," answers Rook placing the vase at his side, careful not to hit it by accident.

"And this is also one of the reasons why youkais have been attacking the village ever since those events?"

"Correct, the healing waters or Earth's Blood as my companion has told me, is able to heal and soothe all minor injury and even lessen the pain of major ones, however it also seems that these things are also one of the reasons that make youkais active and aggressive. The village may be holding large amounts of it underneath its soil and that's what the youkais are after."

Akyuu lifted her head with a smile on her face as she says, "Interesting deduction Rook-san, very interesting indeed, and you thought about this all by yourself on your way here?"

"I don't usually let my mind wander during peaceful times, Lady Hieda. I think, think and think. Even when it's not visible, my thinking cap is always there." replied Rook before raising his index finger in the air, "However I may be wrong. Youkais may have a dozen more reasons to attack this village. One may be that a greater youkai with enough intellect is taking advantage of the village's state, or they're just aggravated due to the disturbance of the Great Barrier. Youkais have sharper sense than humans, so it's possible they felt something we didn't, right, Ms. Keine?"

"As farfetched as it seems, it's plausible," said Keine after being deep in thought. "If you haven't noticed the youkais are much stronger than they usually are, yet why didn't I feel anything? I _am_ part youkai, so why?"

This time it was Akyuu who answered. "It's possible that the effects only worked on certain youkais or half-youkais aren't affected by it at all."

"Explains why Rinnosuke was all normal and things last night." comments Rook.

"So does that conclude your story, Rook-san?" asks Akyuu turning her attention towards the boy, who nodded as a gesture that he has finished with his story. "Good, now to present you what you came for in exchange for such a unique tale! I mean this is Gensokyo after all so…" The Child of Miare proceeded to quietly reprimand herself from stating something obvious, until she clumsily says "So, uh… here's the information that you seek! I have an entire volume of it compiled, however I _can_ give you a summary since daring to finish this right now will take us years,"

While she explains this, she lifts a very old scroll with faded jade tips, a mark of the Yakumo eye stared back at them acting like some kind of lock to keep the scroll closed. Akyuu then extends her hand towards the boy and offered him the scroll, which he took and handled with curious eyes.

"Go on, open it!" urged Akyuu with sparkling eyes that is somehow creeping Rook out.

"Is something going to jump out and yell 'surprise' with a victory music playing in the background?" asks Rook nervously.

"Damn it all, give me that!" snapped Keine wrenching the scroll away from Rook and undoing the lock, spreading her arms afar as she opened the long roll of parchment. Her eyes finding the beginning, she started to read out loud.

"_The sun starts its downward glide__  
__Huge, glowing, reddened with pride__  
__Bringing light to youkais' land__  
__And beneath the grass-filled sand__  
__Lies two flowers sharing hand_

_One with streaks of gold__  
__And one with the coat of fire__  
__Flower of destination__  
__And Flower of deception_

_The bright sun is what they share__  
__Never did they ever flare__  
__The bright sun is what they share__  
__Pests of any kinds won't dare__  
__To cover the sun they share_

_But a pest of the Gold Flower__  
__Destruction is what it shower__  
__The Flower of Deception grieved__  
__Petal Ruins did it receive_

_Never did the Gold had known__  
__ The Flower of Fire had grown  
Never did the sun had shown_

_The Flower of gold Debilitating,__  
__ The Flower of Fire Fortifying_

_ And so arrives..."_

Keine seems to finish with a deep frown on her face as she rolls up the scroll and hands it to Rook. Rook stares at the scroll in his hands in surprise that it was written as poem and not a descriptive article like he would expect from the house of Hieda. Reluctantly unraveling the scroll, he began to read again as Akyuu and Keine seemed to have a silent exchange as he went with his task. Reading it for himself, he notices the large tear at the very end of the scroll as he was about to finish it.

Seeing the boy rolling up the scroll once more, Akyuu begins to speak, "Well there you have it, the only known information on the contract of Gensokyo and Makai. At least from what the first three stanzas convey .The final three on the other hand…"

"Now, I could be wrong but they are… some sort of a prophecy?" guesses Rook, holding up the scroll for Akyuu to see.

"Indeed, made by a relative of your Oarfish friend from above," confirms Akyuu with a wry smile, "As you can see, one would be able to gain various interpretations from it and all of them point to the bad aspect. The meaning from the last three stanzas should be very obvious, no? However you can also notice the visible tear at the end in which the last line was supposed to be written,"

"Judging from the last part of the poem, things are not looking good, aren't they Lady Akyuu?" says Keine with a worried look on her face as she stares at her feet.

"Agreed, it is possible that Lady Yukari may be the only one with the knowledge on what lies in the end of the last part. We can only hope that it is not what it seems to be." replies Akyuu as she tries to be optimistic all of a sudden.

Silence began to fill the room as time passed by, the noises of the people below growing ever fainter as if the distance between them and the three people in the room began to increase. Misfortune and disasters occurring all of a sudden, appearing out of nowhere without warning, one would only wonder what was going to happen next.

"Yukari…" mutters Rook, breaking the silence, "What are you planning now?"

Unsurprisingly enough, it was Akyuu who answered, "Lady Yukari… Has already a countermeasure in mind…"

Rook turned his eyes towards the childlike chronicler, "What is it?"

Akyuu opened her mouth to speak, and Rook's heart sank as he heard her answer…

* * *

The boy was now running through the forest with all his might, leaping over logs and jumping over creeks as if chased by vicious wolves. The sky was turning dark, thundering and growling as he ran across the woodland terrain. Rook swept away a thick clump of bushes as he made his way through, ignoring the stinging sensation that he felt from the thorny shrubs as he continued to run. The cold wind felt like it was slapping against his face, his breathing was fast and shallow for every breath of the cool evening air.

**Hours earlier**

"_That's impossible, Lady Yukari wouldn't risk her own ally's life just for that!" snaps Keine looking thoroughly angry as she bared her teeth towards Akyuu who calmly regarded the history teacher's actions with a sad smile._

"_It must be done… These new rules will be able lower the death rates whenever there is a battle between the shrine maiden and some other youkai," replies Akyuu with her calm tone, however it was obvious that she disliked the Youkai of Boundaries' plan._

"_But using Reimu as a sacrifice? What kind of bull crap is she thinking? No, I won't let her!" shouts Rook slamming his hand on Akyuu's desk so hard that it rattled the scroll shelves slightly. "This… Spellcard rules, you're saying that if they're successfully applied over the Great Barrier, it will cut every living youkais' power down to half, including the Hakurei shrine Maiden, however these rules are mostly going to sap the energy it needs to function from the shrine maidens themselves? Isn't that much worse than slowly having all of your blood drained from your body?"_

"_I'm afraid so, but—"starts Akyuu, only to be cut off by Rook once more._

"_Then why the hell is she going to let Reimu do it?" growls Rook as he continues, "Worst case scenario is that it'll be the same as last night! Reimu's powers will be sapped off her until she has nothing more to give, the very same thing that I sacrificed my powers for and now Yukari wants to reenact the same experience to Reimu?"_

_Keine comes from behind and approaches the Child of Miare's desk and says, "I have deep respect for the Youkai Sage, however this method of solution of hers is just too much for me to tolerate, she is merely using the child's mind to suit her own needs! Unlike her, she must realize Reimu's mortality and if this plan of hers fails there is also the chance of Gensokyo's destruction to resume!"_

"_Lady Yukari works in many strange ways and we have always never understood her reasons, but think of this; she may be doing this for the benefit of ours!" says Akyuu rising from her chair to face the were-hakutaku and the blonde boy, "Please analyze her decisions more thoroughly before spouting unsightly accusations especially you Mr. Rook"_

"_Yeah, I analyzed it, and therefore I conclude that she's being selfish bitch! Reminds me of a certain Magician," says Rook, releasing a sigh through his nose._

"_Mr. Rook!" gasped Akyuu, only to be cut off again and this time by Keine._

"_Rook-san, what do we do now?" she asks turning to the boy at her side._

"_I'll try and convince Reimu not to do anything stupid, "Rook simply says, "Yukari is a youkai like the others, only a tad bit unique. No matter how long one lives in the same roof as her, he must always be alert in case situations like this arise…"_

"_Then I'll leave everything to you, best of luck and we pray for your success," replies Keine giving him a kind smile._

"_Hey, are you two listening to me? You must not interfere with Lady Yukari's plans!" was the only thing Akyuu managed to let out while flailing her arms around, yet it was useless for Rook had already left the room, his footsteps growing fading into the distance as he descends down the stairs._

Rook roughly shakes his head as he returns to the present. The sight of the thousand shrine steps filling his vision, as it lies behind the large red torii gate with the sign that held the Hakurei Shrine's name. He looks up to the sky and found that it has grown darker than before when he was in the forest. It must have been nearing evening for the cool air slowly became colder and colder. It looked as if the shrine was right in the middle of the storm's eye for everything was eerily calm.

_Why do people always push this kind of stuff to me? _Thought Rook as he gazes the stairs from top to bottom. Leaning forward and placing his left foot on the first step while releasing a deep breath from his lips, he began to climb the stairs as fast as he can. _If I let Yukari do as she likes, there will be soon no Gensokyo to live in for all of us… She knows it… She knows the last words of that poem and if my deductions are correct, those words may be influencing her into doing these things._

He was not even half way up and he already felt the muscles on his limbs screaming in protest. It must be due to the running he did a few hours before without a break. He started running on four o clock in the afternoon, it was still cloudy at that time and a few rays of sunlight still managed to touch the ground however judging from the sky's appearance now it must have been six in the evening so that would mean that he has been running for two straight hours…. Great….

_Even if her intentions are good, she's still going along with this charade of hers even if she knows the risk, _mirrors Rook's mind with every step and breath he took as he continued his climb, _I have to make sure Reimu stays safe… Marisa's mentor having sacrificed her only form in this world just for Reimu to be exorcised safely, and me giving every drop of my power… I'm not gonna let that hag ruin everything_

Without warning, the hairs at the back of Rook's neck stood on end and on instinct causing him to dive to his side. A cobalt blue lightning bolt detonated just ten feet away from where the boy lay, groaning at the painful move he just performed now.

Lifting his angry eyes to the sky and shaking his fist towards it, he began to shout, "I'm trying my best, just what the hell do you want with me?"

The dark nimbus gave no reply other than a loud rumble and a flash of lightning, which Rook interpreted as a message for him to hurry up. "Bloody Oarfishes…" he growls as he takes a shaky breathe from the near death experience he nearly avoided.

_Come on, keep going Rook, just a few more steps, _he thought in his mind just to keep his legs moving despite the strain it has been experiencing from the start of his ascension. Finally reaching the top, Rook stares at the pathetic state of the Hakurei Shrine that stood before him. The scars that the shrine grounds suffered from the night before is still present along with the rubble and debris that originated from it. The dead cherry blossoms trees and various other tree life increased the unfamiliar atmosphere that enveloped the shrine as it lay there looking abandoned when it was not.

Once he recollects the amount of air he has lost during his rise, Rook wasted no time standing around and quickly broke into a sprint towards the shrine. Passing by the collapsed donation box with as much a second glance, and wrenching the sliding door open with so much force enough to make the walls shake, Rook entered the shrine.

"Reimu?" he called, opening the way into a room filled with kitchen utensils and a sink and closing it again. "Reimu?" he called once more, pulling the sliding door that let into the Hakurei Maiden's room consisting of a futon and a lone wardrobe. Being a shrine uncommonly visited by humans, and even rarely donated by anyone, the shrine had very few furniture to obstruct one's way around it so it was easy enough for Rook to check room to room.

Stopping at the living room once more to think, he marked down the last possible place for the Shrine Maiden to be; and that is in the shrine's altar which is considered to be a holy place where the mikos perform their training and meditation. It also rumored that the shrine maiden was able to communicate with her goddess in that room, so it is known as a sacred place in which most rituals are performed.

_I would have to say sorry later, but this calls for desperate measures, _thought Rook as he finally found the way towards the altar.

Once he opened the sliding door a little bit gentler than he did to the other rooms earlier, the sight of a meditating shrine maiden greeted him from within the dimly lit chamber with two bright candle sticks placed at the very back of the room.

The entire room was simple one the same as the others earlier, however this one appeared to be the most well kept. It was similar to the training room of a dojo, only a bit smaller and uncomfortable with its small space. It was devoid of any kind of furnishing save for the altar located just behind Reimu, the pillow she sat on, and the two candles at both sides of the altar.

A cold draft blew from an unknown direction causing Rook an involuntary shiver down his spine, yet he fought it to keep a straight face on his features as he glares at the meditating miko before him.

"Whatever Yukari told you, do not do it or you'll kill us all…" was the first thing he says the moment the shrine maiden meets his gray eyes with her brown ones.

Reimu gives him no response except by staring at him with sad eyes, probably a gesture for him to continue.

"Look, your soul will be tied to the Barrier much tighter than it was before and the slightest miscalculation would prove catastrophic," explains Rook, entering the room and coming to a halt seven paces away from the sitting miko, his hand balled into a fist and was trembling… he had to convince her, "You remember how everything almost fell apart last night, right? If one would analyze what happened, the spirit was already at its peak when it possessed you, and look at the results! Gensokyo almost met its end and hundreds of villagers almost died.

If ever anything were to happen to you once you finish this…ritual of yours, you'll be more vulnerable than before. If you get hurt, so does Gensokyo so please Reimu, think about it for awhile. You'll be deciding the entire fate and future of the Hakurei line; do you think in that state of yours you'll be able to choose the right choice? Try and wait for few more years before you do anything reckless,"

"Then if I don't do it now, then when?" snaps Reimu, standing on her feet with her gohei at hand, "You're correct about a few things but if I don't act now then when? When Gensokyo is finally facing a crisis that Yukari wouldn't be able to solve? Yes, I'm vulnerable and that's one of the reasons why I am doing this! It's because I'm weak now, look at what happened! I'm weak and vulnerable, Mima's gone, Marisa's a mess and you lost your powers! It's all my fault and I have to fix this! This is my mess and I have to clean it up even if it means sacrificing my own life! I can't… I can't let anyone else disappear! By applying these rules the Youkai of Borders has set up I will be able to level the playing field and the chances of me winning battles would increase! With these rules no one has to die during battles—"

"Don't you understand?" Rook spoke sharply, "Everything has price Reimu! Rules can be broken and bypassed—"

"But not this one, and I'm making sure of it!" cuts off Reimu in turn, "Please Rook, have faith in me and the shrine even for just this once. You've seen many Hakurei Miko's come and go, and I may be the only one who's going to make this decision so please I need your help. Support me, lend me your strength. With Marisa not here, I don't think I'll be able to handle this alone…."

The boy shakes his head in disappointment and says, "No… I'm not lending my strength to a cause that has obvious selfishness written all over it… You do know the risks, right? You know what the Youkai of Borders is planning, right? Then why are you still going to do this, why turn a blind eye on it when you know you're being used?"

"It's for the good of all, Rook. Figures how you don't understand it because you don't have the weight of an entire world on your shoulders…" says Reimu with a hint of spite in her tone as she looks away to avoid eye contact with the boy.

"You can't just risk you life like that Reimu. Don't do this…" says Rook as he took a step closer towards the shrine maiden.

Reimu made sudden movement and before Rook even had time to react, the girl's gohei was already below his chin. With sad words she says, "Duplex Barrier,"

A golden barrier erupts from her purification rod and expands right before Rook with so much force that it lifts him off his feet, sending him flying from room to room eventually landing on heap just outside the shrine. _So much for the peaceful negotiations…_ he growls darkly within the depths of his pain-filled mind, as hegroans at the pain that erupted at the back of his head from the fall.

Finally finding the strength to move once more, Rook slowly rises to his feet and grab his left shoulder as he watches Reimu exit the shrine through flight. The only problem now was that this Reimu was conscious and not possessed, and definitely much more dangerous.

"I don't want to fight you again Rook, and I certainly do not wish to harm you any further so please stand down!" shouts Reimu as she addresses the weakened boy below her.

_Time to beat some sense into her,_ mirrored his mind as he shouts out loud, "I'm gonna make you regret this, Hakurei!"

Reimu responds with nothing except for slashing her gohei in the air and drawing three seal tags from her dress pocket, while Rook charges at the flying shrine maiden bare handed.

* * *

Amulets flew and stones were exchanged as Rook weaved through the hail of tag bullets while launching his own stones at the shrine maiden. Gripping the smooth surface of the stone he held in his hand, Rook draws back his hand before tossing a crackling stone from his hand, narrowly missing the shrine maiden's shoulder.

Reimu responded by summoning five large orbs bearing the bright shade of the different kinds of colors and willing them to home towards the boy. Rook successfully dodged the first three, however like his battle with Alice last night he narrowly evaded the fourth orb and was blown away by the fifth not a moment too soon.

_Get up and stop her! _He roared in his own mind as he got up and grabbing another stone on the ground, imbuing it with what little power he had. Releasing his grip from the stone he examines it for a few seconds and observed its energy filled nature_. As an alternative shot, I have resorted to retrieving pebbles from the ground and infusing it with a small portion of my energy or at least the energy his body was currently able to handle. By channeling a bit of my power I'm able to increase the speed and power of my throws, thus making it an excellent power saving option if low on energy. It saves much more electricity than using live bolts against the enemy. Even with that…. _

Closing his hand around the stone, Rook launches the stone with all his might, making it zip through the air leaving a crooked bluish trace of light behind. Reimu summons a barrier before her even it was not necessary, forcing the stone to ricochet back a few inches from Rook's left foot the moment it made impact with the barrier.

_It's power is not enough to break through that barrier, and the charge time in channeling my electricity takes at least seven seconds whereas Reimu's amulets…._

Rook made quick dash towards the flying shrine maiden, her tags and bullets flying past him as he barely dodged them the last second because of their homing ability.

Seeing that the miko was right above the shrine, Rook tosses another stone at her in order for a distraction to occur. Knowing what was going to take place next, Reimu summons another barrier anyway giving Rook enough time to grab the ledge of the lowest part of the shrine's roof and pull himself up.

He then proceeds to charge at the flying shrine maiden now that they were level, however Reimu knew what he was planning from the start and unleashed a powerful scatter shot just as Rook was seven feet away from her.

It would have gravely injured the boy if the shots ever hit him, however once Reimu dispelled her barrier and let loose said shots, she found nothing but a flying piece of wood headed towards her which was blown out of existence once Reimu fired.

Her eyebrows rising in surprise, Reimu quickly looks up and finds the boy solidifying from his mist form, a long wooden branch clamped tightly on his right hand as he came down. Rook used the momentum of the gravity's pull to increase the forced of his stick's impact the moment it hits Reimu, along with the little amount of electricity he imbued the branch with.

The boy swings the moment he was right above Reimu's head but his attack was met with another barrier, causing his stick to collapse and for him to crash back into the ground.

When he was just about a few feet from the ground, Rook uses what little time he has in the air to imbue the stone he had in his pocket and throw it directly above him before he finally crashed into the ground. The stone that he delivered immediately connected with Reimu's jaw just as she was about to finish him with a barrage of amulets which missed him graciously at his side.

The shrine maiden yelps in pain of her jaw as Rook was already getting back to his feet and was breathing hard from the fall. Glaring at him furiously with angry eyes and a bleeding lip, Reimu spats out blood from her mouth a raises her gohei high in the air. "I never wanted to come to this but you leave me no choice, Mr. Rook!" she shouts as four orbs, much larger and denser than those who hit Rook before, appeared and circled in a wide ring above her head. "Fantasy Seal!"

The four orbs break formation and immediately homed themselves towards Rook, who was too weak to even run or dodge.

An explosion erupted from the Hakurei Shrine's grounds, forming a smoke that was easily seen from afar. Back on said shrine, Rook's body lay deep inside a smoldering crater of debris that has now joined the number of craters present on the shrine pavement.

His arms, legs and clothes smoking, Rook's eyes flickered to life while trying to regain feeling of his left arm which was now spread in a weird angle. Unsteadily rising to his feet once more, the boy inhaled a shaky breath before turning his attention back to his arm, _great... it's broken._

Closing his eyes and mustering his courage, Rook proceeded to pull his left arm back into place with deliberate force almost causing him to scream in pain. Breathing harder than before, he hovers his right palm above the area in which the pain was greatest, "**Heal…**"

The familiar blue light glowed, as Rook felt the cracked bones of his arm put themselves back together, yet the mind numbing pain was still there, tormenting his mind. A few seconds passed before the smoke finally cleared revealing Reimu standing within an orange magic circle with her eyes closed and focusing with great effort.

Rook realizes what was happening and weakly says, "No…"

The shrine maiden slowly opens her eyes; however they were not that of the comforting brown color of Reimu's eyes, but those of an emotionless gold jewel. In a sleep walking like state she says, "Let the ritual begin…"

Right before his eyes, Rook watched Reimu be enveloped in a bright burning gold light. The sky slowly turned from dark grey to a bright shade of violet, similar to that of a paper burning until it was enveloped in flames only this time there were no fires nor did anything burn.

The pain was all over him again, his arms his legs, his head, causing him to fall to his knees and cough heavily. There's nothing he can do, Rook was at his limit. All he can do now was just watch as Reimu willingly gave her own bloodline's existence solely to the Great Barrier's power to strengthen Gensokyo's power.

His limbs felt like lead while his head refused to lift due to its heaviness forcing it to stare on the ground. Dark patches begun to dance at the edge of his vision, the burning sensation from the blast earlier coursing from his skin through his veins, sapping him of his remaining strength and focus.

Did he just fail again?

"Spirits, hear my whisper. Forge a path so that the great goddess will be able to hear my voice, to hear my plea, to hear my prayer, this I ask you in the name of my bloodline," chants Reimu as the faint shapes of the formless spirits began to glow brighter with every word she says. Answering her calls and responding by doing her commands, "I am the Hakurei Maiden of the thirteenth generation, and by the will of my ancestors I stand before you, Oh great Goddess, so that you may hear your humble servant's selfish request…."

_Rook, move... NOW! _Gritting his teeth at his body's protests, Rook slowly began to rise and was about to take a step forward when a tug at his left foot made him look backwards. With cold shock present on his face, the boy's heart almost leapt to his throat the moment he laid his eyes upon his left foot which was tightly kept in place by a familiar purple gap, _No…No! Damn you Yakumo, you're just gonna let her ruin her life like this?_

"In order to prevent the coming catastrophes youkai will bring, I hereby present a resolution to combat this threat in an anodyne manner," continues Reimu in a single toned voice, her eyes still empty and devoid of any thought or emotion as she was stuck in her trance, "This resolution will be named the Spellcard System…"

"Damn it Yukari, let me go!" roars Rook as he did his best to pull his foot out of the gap, however his efforts proved to be fruitless for neither did his foot or the gap budge in his attempts. The boy's eyes widened as he glanced at the shrine maiden for second, only to find four purple gaps hovering in mid air. Rook managed to catch the sight of the golden eyes of Yukari's world before a barrage of lasers burst forth from the gaps and aims themselves on the boy.

The sound of another explosion sounds throughout the shrine grounds, as Rook falls on his knees before landing face first on the floor, unmoving and with his skin smoking. He can hear it… His heartbeat drumming itself on his ears, the sound of his labored breathing as he did everything to keep himself from passing out. Gone was his strength so what else was left for him?

The Great Barrier glows with an equal golden light and proceeds to light up the large ring that surrounded the entire realm.

"Too many have died and as the Shrine Maiden I cannot allow this to continue," says Reimu before resuming her ritual with an almighty shout to the heavens, "With each battle with youkai, there is the fear the collapse of a small portion of this realm. However once a youkai is unable to fight and withstand their opponents attacks any longer, their power will gradually vanish. Therefore I propose the following contract for the allowance of duels!"

Lying on his front, Rook's eyes flickered to life once more as he released a deep sigh through his nostrils. Placing his right hand on the ground, he slowly pushed himself from it and proceeded to stand on all fours, spitting out the blood that gathered within his mouth to the side while turning his gaze to the glowing light in which Reimu was encased in.

_What gives me the right to interfere? This isn't my problem so why bother with solving it? _Thought Rook as he kept his eyes fixed on the ground, _it's true that I do care for the people in this place, but why me? Why does it have to be me? Why does it have to be me who has to act? Damn it, I don't want to be the hero!_

Rook began to rise once more and was about to walk towards Reimu again only to feel an object brush against his foot. Looking at the floor, Rook crouches down to retrieve a familiar leaf shaped dagger with a black handle and an elegant hilt. As if gaining new strength, he began to walk once more towards the golden light, the dagger vibrating within his grasp.

"Youkai can easily cause disasters, and humans can easily resolve these disasters, the use of one's full ability is to be denied," continued Reimu in that tone which was devoid of emotion, "There are no things superior to beauty and thought!"

Rook comes to a halt as the four gaps unleashed a barrage of lasers once more. However Rook was ready for them and swung his right hand, cutting the lasers in half forcing them to dissipate mid-flight in a burst of sparks.

The boy stares down at the dagger which was now glowing with a black red aura, crackling into electricity as it comes in contact with his wrist. A new wave of energy resonates from the dagger coursing throughout Rook's body, strengthening him and regaining his focus.

_This feels good…_ he thought, as he raised the dagger in an attempt to block an incoming laser only to find that the laser was absorbed the dagger itself. A grin silently crept into the boy's lips as he continued his walk towards Reimu, slashing and absorbing the lasers that came his way. One laser was aimed towards his head, however was absorbed and sent back towards the gap it came from, causing said gap to disappear in a thick veil of purple smoke.

"It looks like you're right after all Yukari," taunted Rook glaring straight into one of the gaps as if he was speaking to the Youkai of Border's herself, "Fate is one of the few things that you're not allowed to touch,"

The gaps gave him no response except for more lasers unleashed by the three remaining gaps. Rook raised the dagger within his hand, absorbing the attack and sending it back towards its owner. He repeated this action until the gaps were no more, and nothing stood in his way between him and Reimu.

At the very center of the circular light that surrounded the shrine maiden, Reimu resumed her chant without disturbance.

"Each spell should be given a beautiful and meaningful name, reflecting that of the user's soul. The number of named spells should be announced before hand. Attacks relying on physical strength should not be repeated—" Reimu comes to a halt as a gloved hand holding as a eight inch long silver knife, crackling with black red electricity.

She regards this with the same emotionless expression and continues her chant despite the appearance of a second hand attempting to create an opening through the fabric of her barrier, "Do not attack without reason, reason becomes its own power. If all of your named spells are defeated, it is your loss regardless of your remaining strength. If a youkai is ever victorious against a human, he/she may not kill them"

Creating a large tear for him to fit in, Rook enters the barrier grabbing Reimu by her throat as she was about to finish.

"Don't you get it, Hakurei?" growls Rook, while keeping a firm grip around the shrine maiden's throat, yet she appears to be unfazed by this and continues to stare at him with those horrible golden eyes, "Can't you… Consider the feelings of others? What about Marisa and all of those people who care about you? Do you really think that they'll want you throwing your life away like this? Do you think that they'll be happy when they find out that you've tied your entire being to the barrier?"

"I don't want Gensokyo to fall into ruin; I'm doing the right thing, Rook!" replies Reimu being herself for a fraction of a second before returning to her trance state.

"How do you know?" roars Rook as he tightened his grip around the shrine maiden's throat, the dark electricity coursing though his shoulders and arms, "Listen to me Reimu, nothing good will come out of this! You can't trust anyone's word that easily Reimu, youkai will always find a way to get through your defenses by using your emotions, now I'm telling you to wake up! Stop this now before it's too late!"

Reimu's head hung low with her eyes half closed, still bearing that emotionless expression on her features as she opened her mouth to speak, "The name of the spell shall be recorded in paper in the same form as this contract,"

"Don't you dare—"Rook stops short as he saw his grip around the shrine maiden's throat slacken, and for his body to fall on all fours before Reimu's feet, "I'm not letting you… do something stupid…"

"As a result, the aforementioned regulations will become absolute in exchange for the maiden's existence and that of her offspring's offspring. Continuing to generations on end till the end of the Barrier's existence and that of this realm," resumes Reimu while staring down at the boy that was before her, "This paper will be called the spell card…."

Rook's eyes widened as the shrine maiden's form began to glow into a dangerously bright supernova of pure yellow light before the ground below him tore apart and swallowed him whole.

And that was how the Spellcard system was established. The Hakurei shrine maiden has successfully sealed her bloodline's fate to the Great Boundary's fate. True that the Barrier will strengthen, but at what cost? Everything has a Price after all…..

**{EVIL CIRCUIT INCREASED!}**

**SAVE GAME?**

**{Y}/**_N_

* * *

_Editor's notes:_

_Hi Onii-sans and Onee-chans! My name is Felicita (Not my real name)! Hello again. This is my first time doing an editor's note in my good friend's story so I really do not know what to say. _

_First of all, I am very sorry for some lacks of grammar corrections in the chapters, Sorry again. Reason? Because this Good 'ol Nicholas would give his work at a time where I am busy so most of the chapters are not cleaned very well. About the Verb Tenses and other blah blah, sorry if they ever bother you. Actually, I am 9 years old who accelerated in 2nd Year High School and I was slightly forced to be an editor. And also, I get a bitchslap for a salary._

_Please feel my pain. _

_Notes: Please save me... _

_Nicolas Notes: Everything she said about her age was a lie. Don't believe anything she says except for the fact that she's my editor. She says she's in pain but she enjoys it._


	12. Chapter 8: Unexpected Fears

_Nicolas Notes:_

_To visit the ghosts of a past story  
And return from the abyss of madness and insanity_

_To dive into the dark sleep of pain  
Just how far will you go to collect and regain?_

_From dark dreams, through the forest  
All while dodging the colorful rain  
To duel against and amongst the mightiest  
Was the wise one's sacrifice in vain?_

_Promises are shattered and bond are broken  
Is this really a worthy parting token?  
To meet with the girl, such a dark heart she had  
In her dull gray world, her story was sad  
_

_Green waters, the abacus's shop  
A short rest before to the village we hop_

_Pained cries and lamenting dreams  
The village is different or so it seems  
Lights bangs and colorful beams  
Oh dear another friend lost in a flash of cream_

_The beast at our side, we continue warily  
Enter we must into the house of memory  
There we find the poem of the Sun  
Once again we depart and run_

_Climbing a thousand steps  
In our hearts the secret is kept  
Once more we duel  
However fate is always cruel_

_The Wayward Chess Piece struck down ultimately  
To explains what happens next: GODDAMMIT YUKARI!_

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**}** **{_Normal_} {**_Hard_**} _{_**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: A Surprising Vacation and a Strange Conclusion**

**Year 2000**

**? Anti-meridian**

**Boundary of Existence and Oblivion**

* * *

Rook found himself lying on a cold stone floor, waking him out of his temporary blackout due to its bitter temperature. Retrieving the knife he had acquired from the events earlier, he slowly rose to his feet while turning his gaze from left to right seeing nothing but the black horizon over at the distance of this strange realm. Rook began to wonder what was providing the source of illumination which allowed him to see in this lifeless wasteland. His question however was immediately answered the moment he looked up. Above him was a colossal eye with golden irises, staring at him unblinkingly as its irises seemed to glow faintly lighting up the surrounding area around the boy similar to a spotlight. Not a moment too soon, a multitude of golden eyes began to open up everywhere where the sky was supposed to be until they were uncountable ranging from a hundred to a million. Gripping his newest weapon at his side, Rook obviously knew where he was now.

Turning his gaze behind him as he noticed the faint noises of footsteps approaching him, the boy found Yukari Yakumo with her parasol spread open as it leaned on her shoulder as if she were enjoying a nice quiet stroll. Her eyes meeting his, a mischievous smile began to creep upon her lips.

"Yukari…" says Rook looking unsurprised at the Border Master's appearance, "Just what the heck do you want with me? Are you really putting me through crap on purpose? I mean seriously, you have sick sense of humor…."

"Oh but Rook sweetie, you already know that do you not?" coos Yukari while suppressing a giggle, "And no, I don't want anything from you. You just have the bad habit of poking your nose into somebody else's business that's all. But really now, for what did you commit the act of interference for? Was it for the good, or for our own reasons?"

To her slight surprise, Rook smiled. "Well, that's not important now is it?" he says lightly, yet his eyes were cold and so becomes his tone as he continues, "The important thing is what the hell were you thinking when you thought about that part of your 'master plan'. I mean you're no different from the leaders of the different nations on the Outside,"

"It was necessary—"

"Necessary? Don't make me laugh, Yakumo," says Rook shaking his head in mock disappointment, "You knew full well what could have happened if Reimu had failed and you still went on with it even if you knew the risks…."

"Ah, but that's where you come in, Rook" muses Yukari as she takes out her fan and spreads it across her face, hiding it from the boy's view, "Knowing you very well, I just positioned my pieces just where I wanted them and waited for you to activate a chain effect,"

"Which is?" asks Rook, his features sporting a scowl.

"Which is believing the Chronicler's story, causing you to come rushing to the rescue like some knight in shining armor," answers Yukari, closing her fan and pointing it towards the boy, "I thank you for if it wasn't for you Reimu wouldn't have acted on her own. She already made up her mind yet she still couldn't decide on who will take her place temporarily if things went wrong. She waited for a trigger to arrive and that came in the form of your opposition. She won't be able to ask her grieving best friend for assistance after what just happened, and neither would she dare seek the Flower Youkai's help due to the youkai's reputation. So she waited for you to arrive, and I only decided to spice it up a bit to make things interesting,"

"Were you the one responsible for Alice's arrival as well?" questioned Rook taking a step forward, "You do know where she comes from, don't you?"

"Ah, you mean this girl?" says Yukari, waving her fan to her side as she wills a gap to open, revealing the image of a young girl in a blue white dress and a yellow ribbon. "She however was not part of my plan or at least not yet. Maybe I'll have to improvise when I am about to make anything do with her. I have seen her world so there's nothing to worry about her at least for now, though I'll be sure to keep an 'eye' on her uf fu fu fu,"

_Her world? What is she talking about?_ Thought Rook, being puzzled for a moment though not showing it on his face.

"I admit that the girl had a very interesting secret. She has many big plans ahead of her, however she feels like it is not the right time to execute them, which I think is most wise," continued Yukari, casually walk around paying no mind to the endless void they were in. This was her world after all, "Would you like to know?"

"It's not my business to intrude matters that doesn't concern me or my job," snarls Rook, his grip tightening around the dagger he held, "What I want to know is what you are planning? Why are you doing this? Why now? Just what the heck were you thinking?"

The Youkai of Boundary's walk came to an abrupt stop as she turned to face Rook from over her shoulder, "Do you really want to know? Why of course you do, you're Rook after all. Stubborn and hard headed little human you are…."

Yukari then lifts up her right hand and starts counting off her fingers, "To strengthen the weakened Barrier, to ensure Reimu's safety during battle, to ease the tension between Makai and Gensokyo, and to level the playing field of battle for humans. After that fiasco during the Possession Incident, the Great Boundary turned weak, horribly weak and as it grows weaker so does Reimu. Now if somehow you _did _stop Reimu from establishing the Spellcard rules, what do you think would happen then? Of course you wouldn't investigate until you find Reimu drop dead right before your feet, eh? And by the time you find out the cause, how will you save her then? The Barrier has greatly depleted her of the energy she had. So how is that any different with what just happened earlier, or rather the 'worst case scenario' that you came up with, hm? The doom of Reimu would have been inevitable…."

"What?" asked Rook, looking nonplussed at the youkai's words.

"In layman's terms, I was saving Reimu and there was no chance whatsoever of her soul being tied so tightly to the Barrier that it would affect her system," giggles Yukari with a mockingly happy smile on her face, "you were just being paranoid…"

"Yeah right, but what if it didn't work as planned and things would have gone wrong?"

"My, my, aren't you the negative one?" Responds the Youkai of Borders.

"I'm just making sure that you're plan is completely foolproof, you never know what'll happen in the future," Rook darkly says.

"Well if everything did go wrong, then I say you won't be even alive right now and instead you're probably being judged in Higan as we speak," says Yukari her smile growing wider and annoying, "How does that sound?"

"Damn you…" growls the boy as he was about take a step forward only to find out that his right foot was stuck within a gap once more, causing him to shoot the youkai before him a dark glare.

"Moving on… This Spellcard System would provide as good source of foundation for the Barrier _and_ a non-lethal way of combat for both the Hakurei Shrine maiden and that of the other humans thus depleting the total amount of deaths during a duel," says Yukari while aiming the tip of her umbrella towards the boy whose eyes widened at her actions, "Watch…"

Two bluish spheres burst forth from the umbrella's tip and shot themselves into Rook's direction. At that moment, the boy's left leg and arm were held by two more gaps that came out of nowhere leaving his right arm to defend himself from the incoming attack by absorbing the first shot with his dagger. The second sphere however was too fast for his arm to catch and impacted him right on the gut, forcing air out of his lungs and throwing him off his feet a couple meters.

The boy groans as he falls flat on his back on the cold floor. Rook quickly looked down on his chest and was surprised to see it still whole and well, sporting a large blackened patch at the center while smoking, other than that he was perfectly fine. He received no injuries whatsoever, save for the burning sensation that erupted upon the bullet's impact. Knowing Yukari's extent in terms of power, he should have been blown to pieces the moment the bullet hit and Rook knew that he was done for the moment it did.

_Just what was that?_ Asked Rook within his mind as he stared wide eyed at the area the sphere hit him.

"Danmaku," replies Yukari as if she were reading his mind, "This is what the contract meant on the matter of resolving incidents without deaths occurring. It also helps on leveling Reimu's playing field as stated earlier, keeping her safe due to its non-lethal damages that it produces. So you don't have to worry about her dying if there's an incident for the rules revolve around her and whenever someone issues a duel with her, automatically these rules are activated unlike to other people where it has to be discussed and declared before the duel starts,"

"So Reimu can't be killed whenever she fights?" asks Rook, "Does this apply outside the battle too?"

The Border Youkai was then swallowed by her own gap, appearing just beside the boy offering an arm to help him up on his feet. Rook reluctantly took it and unsteadily stood on his feet, dusting his pants with his left hand while his right still held the dagger. Yukari now stands before him with her umbrella closed and eyes staring into him like those of the disembodied eyes all around them.

In a sad tone the Youkai then says, "No. This only applies within duels so that means Reimu is still vulnerable to certain methods of assassination, but rest assured that her safety in battle is guaranteed,"

"Then that means she always needs to be on guard if some youkai gets lucky," says Rook, turning his gaze somewhere to his left, "At least now, there's only one person left who's considered a threat to the Hakurei lineage. I'm looking at you, Yukari Yakumo,"

"Me? Really now you have quite the imagination Rook," says Yukari in a false hurt tone, as if she had been caught red handed stealing from a cookie jar only to lie afterwards about it, "Think about it for a minute, Rook. If you narrow it down in a chart, who do you think will be the most capable person taking down Reimu Hakurei even with these rules established, hmm? The Flower Youkai with the strength of nature at her very finger tips? The Black Witch that annihilates everything in her path using the power of love? The goddess of the demons that holds the leash to an army of a thousand demons? No, it is you. You, the man who has trained generations of Hakurei maiden in the art of combat, along with that old reptile who specializes in exorcism. You and that turtle Genji sharpened every Hakurei maiden that has come to pass with your skills and knowledge, surely Rook you know every single attack that Reimu has don't you? You would be able to take her down with just that knife on your hand. How do you explain the way you survived your last battle with her a few hours earlier? If you were only fighting to kill you would've done so with ease. Now as for me, true that I would be able to erase her existence at the flick of my wrist but I do not have the reason to do so… You however are more likely to kill Reimu through various methods any time you want,"

"But like you I don't have the reason to do so!" argues Rook.

"Would you like me to create a scenario?" coos Yukari right beside his ear. How she managed to appear at his side so fast without the use of her gaps, he did not know…

"What?"

* * *

The golden eye filled void slowly transformed into the dimly lit interior of a blood red walled structure. The light of the red moon outlines the shadow of the window on the equally crimson floor carpet. Rook looks down on his hands just to see the scarlet liquid it was drenched in. The boy then notices that he lying on the floor with his back against the wall behind him. All around him furniture were overturned, glass fragments and that of ornaments lay scattered on the floor. On the windows hung two barely recognizable curtains which were filled with slash marks as if a wild animal had clawed upon them.

"What the hell?"

Rook's attention quickly directed towards the sound of bangs a few floors below him. It must have been very deep for the noises were faint and muffled.

_No…_

Forcing himself on his feet, the scenery starts to swirl around him as if he was inside a blender only that it was the outside that was blending. Rook then found himself running within a dark enclosed tunnel while urging himself to go faster towards a single black iron door. All around him, the walls begin to sprout eyes, golden eyes all observing his progress as he ran towards the door. It will take more than that to completely strike fear into him and interrupting his advances towards the door.

"What the heck are you planning now, Yukari?" he yells all around him, his voice echoing throughout the narrow tunnel. Unsurprisingly, he receives now answer except for the gaze of the eyes intensifying with each step he took. Snarling, Rook then jams his knife on the wall which somehow melted into it like a hot knife through butter causing the pupils of the eyes around him to dilate as though in pain. Rook continues to run with the knife travelling through the seemingly hard stone walls, leaving a black red tear behind as it passed.

Arriving at the iron door, the boy realizes that it was locked, so in turn he then resorts to slash the door with the dagger he held and finally blowing apart with a jet black flash of lightning.

"Rook! Just in time, help me finish her!" came Reimu's voice from the other end of the room.

This time it was the boy's eyes turn to expand, seeing the scene before him. Reimu stood at the very end of the room, her usual white sleeves stained with crimson, a nasty cut carved on her cheek. She stood with her purification rod raised and her knees ready to give away but only managing to hold on for the sake of performing one last act before blacking out. In front of Reimu was a girl, a familiar girl in a red dress and dirtied mob cap. Flandre was being pinned to the wall by two large needles like spears stabbed into her palms, making her look like she was being crucified. Blood ran down the surface of the wall as it seeped through the little girl's hands like a light waterfall, dripping to the floor similar to rain.

"What is this? I-I don't get it…"whispers Rook as he took five hesitant steps forward, his footfalls echoing around the large chamber of the Scarlet Mansion's basement. The entire room was only lit by the light coming from the glow of the Ying and Yang symbol that was on the wall. Keeping the powerful vampire in place with its strength. Rook then notices the number of craters and debris strewn on the ground as if a large battle took place, which was highly possible.

The boy's gaze trailed towards Flandre, whose eyes gave him a sad look as if asking; Why?

He was now before her, staring at her broken form wanting nothing more than to help her. Reimu was beside him explaining the situation, however her words never reached him for his mind was numb at the sight of his most cherished suffering in front of him.

"She has been attacking the village for weeks; there have already been reports of her terrorizing the tengu's home going far as killing her own sister!" described Reimu, while keeping the barrier around Flandre alive, "Rook I know you've been having second thoughts about this for months but like it or not we have to seal her! She almost killed Marisa, are you going to wait until she finally takes the life of someone else you knew? Hey are you listening to me? Rook!"

_Ahh, that's right…_ whispered the boy into his mind, blocking out every single words that the miko spouted from her mouth. _The mansion already arrived years ago… Three years to be exact. The moment they landed in Gensokyo, Remilia proceeded to go on a rampage the very moment they arrived only to be put to a stop by Reimu and Yukari… Patchouli's dead, I finished her during Reimu's first assault on the mansion. Afterwards Remilia was chained due to her fury and was placed her in the basement instead of Flandre. Flandre, was then given to my custody with a few fragments of her memories regained she remembered me. After that we lived quite happily until…._

"Rook!" screamed Reimu into the boy's ear. Rook's eyes slowly travelled from the ground towards Flandre who seemed to be struggling against her bonds. The needles that held her in place were growing cracks on their sides as the vampire uttered a silent roar, opening her mouth and bearing her fangs.

"Rook you have to stab her, use your knife!" continued Reimu as she fought to keep the vampire's cage intact, "Please, do it now!"

_Stab her? Should I really?_ Rook gripped his dagger hard before swinging it sideways. Blood was sprayed upon his face as he drove the dagger's blade across the shrine maiden's throat.

**{EVIL CIRCUIT INCREASED}**

"Nice try Yukari," he growls, turning the dagger in his hand and stabbing it into Reimu's chest, "But you have to try better,"

The shrine maiden screams a horrible shriek, causing the walls, the ceiling and Flandre to gather into one place, forming a large mound of purple smoke. All around Rook, the scenery changes back into the eye filled void with the mound of smoke writhing and flailing around until it turns back into the familiar form of Yukari Yakumo, clutching her midriff as if hit by Rook's dagger itself.

So ends the Demon's illusion

* * *

"Wonderful, magnificently done Rook!" says Yukari with mock smile on her face, "As expected from you, boy. To break that illusion without too much effort and I say, Mima's knife seems to have this effect on anything concerning my borders. I wonder why? Anyway, you see what I mean Rook? If I would only push the right buttons I could easily make you commit something you would have never thought possible! You are easily influenced by those close to you, especially that vampire… My, if I were to get a hold on that vampire then I may be able to gain full control over you"

"You wouldn't dare," says Rook with a menacing tone, the black red electricity coursing through his arms before disappearing.

"Oh relax will you? What I'm trying to say here that a situation such as that is highly possible, what with Reimu's profession and your friend's destructiveness your mind will be forced to conflict in the decision making, and from my point of view you failed miserably at that part. You acted without thinking, without even considering the situation you were in—"

"AND THAT'S BECAUSE YOU CHUCK ME IN THERE ALL OF A SUDDEN! YOU DIDN'T EVEN WARN WHAT WAS—" yelled Rook only to be cut off in turn by Yukari.

"But that is the point, my boy. Split decisions appear out of nowhere without announcing their arrival or formally requesting one" clarified the Border Youkai, "Eight hundred years you have treaded the earth and you still…..umm how do I say this? Ah yes, suck in decision making. One wrong move and everything could go wrong; I'm trying to help you here so that you will be able to advance in your game,"

"Well you're not helping at all! You're making things worst you hear me!?" shouts the boy, pointing the tip of his knife towards Yukari who merely stared with a bored expression.

"You better be careful with that. Mima's still inside that thing so it's best not to agitate her with your deliberate movements," reprimanded Yukari, however her words were useless for she followed by saying, "Maybe if you shake it a bit more for a few seconds and see what happens?"

"I-wait, Mima's in here?" questions Rook staring at the knife in his hands in disbelief.

"Well…. How do the Americans say it these days? Ah right! Well 'duh' genius it took you long enough," says Yukari in an annoying voice while rolling her eyes.

"Yakumo…" growls Rook giving the Youkai a murderous look, "Don't make me use this thing against you…"

"Oh fine, fine, fine. Party pooper, but before we move on to the next topic, do you understand everything I've said earlier?" she asked while receiving a nod from Rook as a response, "Good, it should provide you with a few things to think about. It could prove fatal for you if you lacked even at one department seeing that you're opponent has a lot of tricks up their sleeve,"

Rook stood silent for a moment while staring at the knife in his hand, thinking on the amount of magic it has stored within by the Evil Spirit herself. Maybe if he were to be able to extract the power within he would be able to gain some of its energy, however something told him that it would be a bad idea if he tried.

Yukari suddenly clapped her hands together and with a wide smile on her face declared, "Alright, let's get started! That my boy is Mima the Vengeful Spirit's dagger, the very same dagger that took away her own life when she was still alive and well. It holds a part of her soul, of her essence making it look like you're holding Mima herself in your hands. When she still existed, only a quarter of her energy was stored in there as a reserve in case she had to fight a full scale battle, but during Reimu's possession she used every bit of her power into all of her attacks going as far as using the dagger itself by giving it to you to seal her _and_ the spirit that controlled Reimu. Now, with a part of her essence stored within the dagger she is bound to return into the dagger if ever her form on the world of the living is destroyed, thus keeping herself alive even defeated. However that was what she was supposed to be planning, but due to the interference of the sealing she can never get out ever again and she knew this the moment she handed you that thing. You can feel it can you? Her dormant power vibrating against your palm along with the spirit encased with her. Well my friend, that is only a taste of her black magic so I suggest you turn off its power before it consumes you,"

Rook then stares at her incredulously and says, "How do I turn it off? I don't even own this thing and I wasn't the one who stabbed Mima yet why does it answer to me?"

"You can turn it off by letting go of it," Yukari simply answers while Rook lets go of the knife, letting it skid to the ground harmlessly and almost immediately the black red glow died. Rook then fell on his knees as if he was suddenly drained of energy, the buzzing strength he had earlier completely gone. A headache began its slow advance all over Rook's head as he felt his reserve go dry, making his vision blur and darken. Shaking his head, the boy unsteadily rises back to his feet while resisting the urge to throw up.

"Ah, it seems that it has the same effects as that of the 'Price'," Yukari then proceeds to click her tongue in mock disappointment, "Oh dear, it looks like your use of it will be greatly limited because of that, or maybe your body is still adjusting to the dark magic that the knife is imbued with. Oh well, it's a theory so I suggest you limit your use of the dagger and don't completely rely on it, mmkay?"

"I'll keep that in mind…" says Rook in a grim voice as he holds his right hand on his right brow, "Dizzy… damn it feels like the world's swirling…"

"Hmph, moving on," continues the Youkai Sage while Rook attempts to regain his wits about him, "You probably know this, but you're able to absorb attacks made out of energy or Danmaku and absorbing it into your being by channeling the attack through the knife and converting it into electricity, but just as I said, your body doesn't have enough space to accommodate all the power you absorb. You're lucky, because if you even attempt to block out the Black White's beam of love then good bye sanity or you'll barf out every meal you had since you were born (that is if such thing is possible). That knife of yours, if you were observing earlier, is able to cut through Reimu's barrier as she was performing her ritual and those barriers were said to protect its summoner from all kinds of attacks so it seems that Mima's knife is one of the few things that is able to penetrate it completely. I can even deduce that it can rip a hole in the Great Boundary itself, seeing that you cut through my illusion. But still….. Just as I said using its powers is very taxing, no? Be patient and your powers will return in no time…."

"Wait, you're talking as if I'm keeping that thing," says Rook while pointing a finger at the dagger on the floor, "Why can't you just give it back to Reimu and seal it somewhere safe? Wouldn't that be the best course of action instead of giving to dangerous old me?"

A mischievous grin crept upon Yukari's face as she answered, "Oh but Rook, that wouldn't be any fun wouldn't it? Where's the thrill of doing that?"

"Hmph, I should've known…" mutters Rook, while resisting the urge of slapping his own hand on his forehead. Instead he stared at the Youkai before him with a serious expression before saying, "So what now? You've explained yourself and made yourself acceptably clear even though I find you actions increasingly reckless for a youkai of your caliber, so what do you plan on doing now, Yukari?"

"Me? Do now? Why of course as an elite mastermind unlike any other, I would be carrying out my many grand schemes," the Youkai simply says, raising her left hand elegantly while she spoke, "The Spellcard system would surely catch the eye of the many residents of Makai and would probably adopt its use to ease the tension between the two sides as I have stated earlier. All we have to do now is to beat the bloody pulp out of each other without having to die. A simple plan that Shinki will be more than happy to play along with,"

"How can you be so sure?" says Rook, pushing further in case Yukari had anything else in mind.

"Trust me, this _will_ work…"replies Yukari while narrowing her eyes towards the boy, "And if it doesn't, then I already have a countermeasure in mind,"

"Then what about Reimu? Will she be able to handle the pressure of the responsibility she has?" asks Rook.

"Will you?" counters Yukari while pointing her closed fan into Rook's direction, "Relax will you? Now I know why I paired you up with Ran, you two worry too much,"

"I'm just making sure that this won't backfire,"

"I already did. I took away fragments of _her_ memory from the moment we met, me offering the Spellcard System and that of your interference,"

"You did what?!" exclaims Rook, looking utterly shocked at the youkai's words, "Why did you do that? For what reason?!"

"So that she won't turn into either you and Ran, a couple of worrywarts," huffed Yukari with her arms crossed under her chest, "The girl already has too much in her mind, it is only wise to erase a few unimportant information,"

"And you think by simply erasing the moment you met the most powerful youkai in Gensokyo will solve anything?"

"Yes, but don't worry, I haven't erased her memories about you only that event that happened a few hours earlier," giggles Yukari as if one of her harmless pranks had just succeeded in hitting their mark, "And for good measure I erased the witch's memory too about ever meeting me or Ran, however I left the entire bit of her recollection about you so don't expect that she'll be still your friend the next time you see her. She still grieves for her fallen mentor,"

"Is this the same? With the memory spell that I'm trying to break?" says Rook, a hint of desperation in his tone, "If it is, then will you be able to help me?"

"No, it's your problem not mine and you have the responsibility to fix it and not me," responds Yukari with a bright smile on her face.

"That was expected," deadpanned Rook with an un-amused stare.

Yukari then walked towards somewhere to Rook's left, kneeling down and slowly picking up Mima's silver knife from the floor. The knife gave no response at the Youkai Sage's touch, but then glowed an eerie light of red as it neared Rook who took five good steps backwards from the knife.

"What are you doing?" asks Rook in a cautious manner while eyeing the dagger warily.

"I'm giving this back to you. It's your fault that Mima's in here so take responsibility for it you naughty little boy. Don't forget that you almost lost my other gift to you, so I'm warning you right now…. Lose this dagger and the world loses Mima, if this thing is lost it won't return like that box do you understand?" advises Yukari offering Rook the knife's handle while summoning a black box on her right hand from a gap, "A builder always needs his tools in order to create something new,"

"What am I going to make with these anyway?" he questions, frowning upon the box and the knife. Rook reluctantly took them, placing the box under his arm and the dagger on his left hand. The legion of golden eyes above them all blinked three times before Yukari formed an answer.

"A better world…." She whispers with a content smile. This one genuine not mixed with any false emotion or feelings, maybe Yukari did wish for a better world, "However that will have to wait…."

"What?" asks Rook taken aback by her answer out of all the others. If she wanted a better world, why can she not make a new one at the flick of her wrist? Rook wondered what's stopping her…

"To make such a world, I have to get rid one more thing…" continues the Youkai of Boundaries, taking slow step towards the boy. It happened again…. Yukari was now before Rook, holding him up by his neck with one arm as if he weighed nothing. The boy kicked and flailed at the youkai's iron grip, struggling to release himself from her hold.

"What are you doing? I don't…" he choked while struggling against the youkai's grasp while still holding his black box in his hand.

"The thing I have to get rid of….Is you, Rook…." Answers Yukari in a sinister tone,

_What?_ Rook attempted to fight back by raising Mima's dagger above his head in order to make Yukari drop him as he stabbed her on the shoulder; however the effort was wasted for Yukari managed to open a rip through realities before finally tossing Rook into the void.

"Your existence has tipped the balance of power in Gensokyo, Rook," echoes Yukari's voice as the boy fell screaming through the infinite blackness, "You will have to take a vacation, a vacation you've always wanted. Too many times have you gone against me and I cannot have you do so again… Heh, please enjoy your time on the Outside while I sort things out in Jigoku, don't worry it will only be for a short while…"

_She's kicking me out? _Thought Rook with his eyes wide in disbelief, _Sort things out? What is she talking about? I don't understand...Why is she doing this? Damn I should have never put my guard down even for a moment…_

"It's only for a short while, Chess Piece… Don't worry, I'll send Ran after you once everything has calmed down," continues Yukari's voice, "I've arranged everything for you, however even if you try to search for that mansion again, I doubt you will be able to find a second time…"

"Damn it…"

"Be a good boy and don't cause trouble! I also have a special thing to give you so that you can make use of your time while on the Outside….."

"Damn you…"

"Well then…"

Rook looked above (or below rather) and just had enough time to see the sight of a large trash bin before crashing head first into it. Struggling to find his sense of balance once more, it took Rook a few second before he finally got out of the trash heap and stand on his two feet. The nighttime scenery of an urban city filled with many glowing lights met his eyes the moment his vision returned, the sound of the fluttering wings of the sleeping birds that resided above the rooftop echoed all around the moment Rook had appeared.

Rook had enough time to see a white piece of paper float out of the gaping maw of Yukari's gap before it closed itself with a loud pop as if it did not exist in the first place. Kneeling down to retrieve the fallen parchment, Rook then proceeds to read it before glaring up into the sky and yelling at the top of his voice, "**DAMN YOU YAKUMO!"**

The paper, in which he had read, held a small message which said;

_Are you interested in the Pacifist Mode?_

A large black bird with a pale area at the base of its beak sat contently above the power lines, observing the boy with curious eyes right before beating its small wings and boomeranging off into the night.

* * *

**END OF PROLOGUE PHASE;**

**CONTINUING TO THE NEXT LEVEL**

**WELCOME USER: ?**

**WELCOME TO THE MADNESS OF LAEVATEINN…**

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: No editor's notes this time because Felicita's going through rough times and has to work on her time organizing. You're all probably wondering why it took this long, right? well it ain't something I'm supposed to convey to public eyes so PM will do, heh. Well one reason this got delayed for one time was that big things happen when you least expect them and they come in fast and furious. Expect the next update to become slower... And I thank you all for those who have come this far into the story! All of your supports are well appreciated!_

_Don't forget to review, okay?  
_

_Until next time!_


	13. Memory Chapter 2: This is how it began

_Nicolas Notes: I dunno what to say. Well, I'm proud to say that I finished this a week ahead of scheduled, buuuuuut I had to wait for my editor to be in a good mood until she can edit this chapter. So yeah, though I couldn't shake the feeling that something's wrong with this chapter..._

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{_Yukkuri_****} {**_Normal**} {**Hard_**} {**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

** MEMORY CHAPTER 2: This is how it began**

**Year: 1505 (Based on the Gregorian calendar)**

**Date: October 6**

**4:22 Anti-meridian (Based on the Present's timetable)**

**England, the village of Carmine, the Outside**

* * *

_Time… Ever flowing similar to a great rushing river, no manmade object would be able to obstruct its wrath as it sets itself in motion. In the passage of time many things change, the lands, the waters, the Mother Earth and the people that dwell within its embrace. Change is a part of nature; however there is such a time when change is not welcomed with open arms for it traditionally brings along with it the grotesque appearance of conflicts. In time, mankind has proceeded to create their own systems of living, what with their exchanges and class discrimination. Life was supposed to be simple, yet it is mankind who insist it to be complicated…. I do not even know what I am writing anymore…._

The boy with gray eyes let out a sigh before setting aside his quill along with its ink. His thin gloved right hand instinctively crept towards the jug of mead that sat upon the smooth flat surface of the hardened wood of the counter. Downing a gulp, another sigh escapes his lips as he stared at the smooth wood with a bored expression.

"More mead for you, Mister Scholar?" comes a gruff and aged voice in front of the boy.

A small smile cracking upon his lips, the boy promptly replies, "A scholar who cherishes the love for comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar"

With his head continuing to study the polished counter, the boy did not see the man before him raise his eyebrows at his reply. The man did not even seem to be offended by the boy's rather mocking way of speech and instead released an infectious hearty laugh.

At the sound of laughter, the boy seemed to be pulled back once more into reality as he finally recalled where he was and what he was doing there. Looking around him, he realized that he was inside a noisy pub, filled with laughter, music and drinks. Men exhausted from working at the fields and exchanging products with other merchants were happily enjoying themselves in the night's embrace.

The entire establishment was lit by eight orange candles which all hung from the ceiling by an old rusted chandelier, casting a clear orange light all around the feasting area.

At the far corner was a blazing fireplace which provided the pub's customers the warmth they had longed for after braving through the harsh autumn was raining outside which meant that everyone who entered the pub was dripping wet and had to be told off by the barkeeper's wife for dirtying the carpet.

The boy lifted his head to show the barkeeper the polite smile he had on his face. Wiping a tear from his eye after laughing, the barkeeper then proceeds to tell the boy off, "Take off your hood boy and stop speaking in riddles! Now would you like more mead or not?"

"More please, and it is not a riddle what I have said, but a saying from the merchant's continent" replies to boy to which the barkeeper snorts in amusement.

"By Lao Tzu is it not?"

The revelation almost made the boy choke in his drink as he was about to gulp it down in one sitting. The boy's reaction managed to coax out another booming laughter to erupt from the barkeep as he coughed and choked on the mead he was supposed to drink. _Stupid old man caught me off guard again, _thought the 'boy' as he wiped off the mead of his lips.

"BUWAHAHAHA, caught ya there lad. This village gets all sorts of people from all sorts of bizarre places, so I ask you not to be surprised if anyone ever spooked ya like that. BUWAHAHAHA, you looked like some village fool, you shoulda' seen your face!" laughed the barkeeper, his large belly bouncing up and down as he massaged his ribs.

Once has finished laughing, the barkeeper proceeded to fetch the boy another mug of mead while the young man pulled back his hood, revealing a shaggy untidy blonde hair that somehow covered the boy's ears. A pair of weather beaten boots kept his feet dry and warm from the rain he had faced earlier as he made his way to the pub to seek shelter.

The straps of his dark olive green pants wrapped themselves over the shoulders of his long sleeved shirt which has somehow adopted a yellowish color, probably from overuse.

Over these, was a brand new bought brown travelling cloak in which the boy still wore despite being already indoors, the barkeeper's wife complained about it angrily but since he was a regular in the pub and has close relation with her husband as a friend, she consented and only if he did not ruin the carpet.

Soon barkeeper returned, still his usual attire of an olive green shirt under a pair of brown overalls as if he were working in a forge and not in a pub. This however did not disagree with the generous spark in his eyes and the prideful look on his face as he observes around the fruits of his hard labor.

The boy had to agree, from the information he has gathered, this man was hard worker and it was only right for him acquire these rewards of a stable business. A wild beard grew upon the man's chin making him look like one of those woodcutters near the foot of the mountain at the western roads while his hazel brown hair sat on his head similar to that of a burnished wood.

Lifting his mug as a gesture of a toast, the boy drank while the barkeep went back to polishing his wares.

"So…"began the barkeeper, "If what you say is true that you are no scholar, then if I may ask how come you are able to come up with words as if you seize them from the air itself, aye?"

"Take it as a hobby," responds the boy, while making his mug sway in his grip, "enjoyable tasks that we perform out of whim. If I were a sailor then I would say that whims are akin to that of the wind; unpredictable and random at times"

"But you are no sailor and there is no sea in this valley" answers the barkeeper.

"Indeed, I am a builder. Surely you have already known this for it is my profession that my father has passed along me, so it would mean that my whims are similar to a builder. My whims are not like the winds which are unpredictable and random; my whims are similar to all things that I build: it has purpose and is always precise," replies the boy in a philosophical tone.

"Hmph, it seems that I learn something new every day," responds the barkeep in a defeated voice.

"Ah, worry not good sir! It is not every day that you are schooled by the youth!" laughs the boy while lightly banging the counter. _Youth…. One would wonder how he would react if he knew how old I really am…_

"Indeed, however I suggest you refrain from shooting off that clever tongue of yours if you do not want to be tied upon a whipping post while the village elder feeds you a blazing charcoal fresh off the hearth! " says the barkeeper jokingly as he releases his booming laughter, mixing it along with the other noises in the establishment.

"I will be sure to keep that in mind, good sir" replies the boy while taking a sip from his mug. The barkeeper observes him with a gray eyebrow raised as the boy set down his mug once more to examine the parchment he had written on. On the boy's right side were four mugs of mead, all drained of their contents while the one who drank them all was still clear minded and was re-reading his work with focused eyes.

The barkeep could not help but procure a sweat drop at the amount of mead that the boy has consumed; he did not even have the appearance of a heavy drinker. In fact, he only had the look of a boy in his mid-teens and yet he has already taken in more mead than a normal drunkard would usually drink. No, he has seen this scene for a very long time now so the barkeeper shook his head dismissively and went back to polishing his mug.

The barkeeper could recall that one time that he questioned the boy's drinking habits.

"_Say boy, why do insist on drinking when you never get drunk yourself like the next bloke?" asked the barkeep one September evening._

_Taking a sip from his mug, the boy casually looks up and stares at the barkeeper straight in the eye while in a nonchalant tone he replied, "To blend in. Besides, the mead helps me think"_

He had to shake his head once more to dispose his mind of the boy's queer answers. After that conversation he never dared question the young man's actions. His entire village did take in the weirdest of all people, but they were good people making good business. This boy was only one of them so it should be fine.

Now that he thought of it, this boy only arrived in the village two winters ago and he has already been a lot of help to most of the villagers. A good natured fellow, though he could be sometimes be a bit quiet.

The boy would usually come to the village to sell his wares, which meant that most people would guess that he was a blacksmith of some kind, however he proved that he was not only skilled in making metalwork but was also excellent in crafts having made the village statue of the mountain lion that has been the village pride ever since it stood this spring.

Even after that, still he remained silent about his name. This of course aroused suspicion about the boy's history whether he was a slave or fugitive with a large amount of gold sitting on top of his head, however the barkeeper did not believe in such tosh. This boy had contributed quite a lot already compared to that of the village leader's so it is only right to respect his wishes to remain a mystery, besides he did not seem like a bad person at all.

Sighing, the barkeeper shook his head again to ward his mind of any other troubling thoughts about the boy before him. The other men in the pub were too busy laughing and singing 'the old goat with a long fringe' to order anymore drinks, which left the barkeeper nothing to do than idle next to the boy.

The same scene…. Apparently having experienced this before, his conversation earlier with the young man already felt like a routine to him. Soon, the boy will ask him how his wife and child are doing and he would reply with his usual response, after that the boy will order five more mugs before getting up to leave for the night to his home somewhere at the plains. At least that was what the barkeeper thought… This night seemed to be a bit different than those before.

Once he had set down his mug for the third time after a sip, the boy's eyes turned to the side as he heard the sharp sound of bells ringing at the door over the loud voices of the throngs all around, declaring the arrival of a new customer. The chair beside the boy uttered a tiny screech barely audible over the noise of the pub as the newcomer took their seat at his side.

From the edge of his vision, the boy identified the stranger to be a man in his early thirties, clean shaven with a cheery face that seemed to be always smiling. The man's silver hair was tied into a pony tail at the back of his head right under a larger than necessary top hat.

What was interesting about this man was not the bronze handled cane he had and neither was the fine jade green silk coat that he wore, but it was the shoes that he had on for they were so neatly polished that they seemed to shine.

From a first glance this man seemed to stand out among the people in the pub by wearing such an exquisite outfit like that of a noble, or maybe he is a noble. Two or three strands of gray hair lay across the thin oval glasses he had, which he was now cleaning with white handkerchief that he took out of his coat pocket. Strangest thing about this man was that he was not utterly drenched compared to the last five people that had come in the last fifteen minutes.

The boy's gray eyes trailed towards an emblem that seemed like the stranger's coat of arms: A bat bearing a cross behind its back with two spears impaling what looked like the earth.

His eyes widening, the young man choked upon his drink for the second time this evening.

"Good evening barkeep, I would like to have the most affordable wine that you have," requested the stranger in a cool suave voice that sent chills up the boy's spine.

The barkeeper responded with a smile of his own before going to the back fetching the wine bottles he was going to serve, leaving the newcomer and the boy alone in the midst of the loud building.

"What are you doing here? Aren't your kind supposed to be in hiding?" says the boy, his words barely over the loud noises of the pub yet he ignored it and kept his gray eyes fixed at the edge of his vision to keep the man beside him in his sights.

"Whatever are you saying, my boy?" chuckled the man while casually turning his head to the side to look at the boy. "Clark is my name," continued the man while offering a white gloved hand, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." The young man regarded the man's gesture with a cold stare, making the stranger draw back the hand and rub the back of his neck while chuckling nervously.

"Go away, now…." Mutters the boy in a low tone, yet he knows that the man can hear him very clearly.

"Hm?"

"I don't know why you're here but I am warning you, _sir_, cause as much as one scuffle in this village and I will vanquish you without mercy"

"Whatever are you saying? The drink must have addled your mind my boy! If I were you, I would—"

"Vampire….." the boy then proceeds to lift his mug for the man to see. At the other side of the glass, the boy's reflection was clear yet slightly distorted by the mug's surface and by the tiny beads of water that appeared due to the mead's coolness. The next side on the other hand was empty, as if no one was there.

The man releases a small puff from his nostrils before setting down his hands on the counter and opening his eyes. As expected, they were blood red and intimidating. A cold aura began to radiate from the stranger, washing over the boy causing his mind to tense tightly, alert of an unexpected attack.

"I suppose it is no use pretending something I am not after being found out. Lighten up boy, I have no interest in consuming you," says Clark, still using his pleasant tone and way of speech. From what the young man could see, the smile and nervous expression Clark had were genuine, years of experience told him that the stranger before him bore no hostility and was not pretending. One could never be too careful however…

"So let me start again, shall we? My name is—"

"I've heard you the first time and I don't want to hear it again. Besides, I am not interested on whatever it is that you want from me," cuts off the boy while relaxing his shoulders before taking a sip from his mug. Setting it down he then adds, "Leave, now"

The stranger produces loud clicking noises from his lips as he says, "My, my, my aren't you the rude one, have you no respect for elders? And you have not even given me the chance to recount my tale."

"I don't care and I only respect the respectable and those who deserve it. And I already know what you want seeing that I have encountered more of your kind in the past than you can imagine not only your race but others too so I advise you to not take me so lightly"

"Ohohoho, not to be taken lightly indeed. Have you ever known of your reputation in the world of the supernatural? Why I would not be foolish enough to challenge you, knowing your status in the eyes of the other races and you will not be as equally foolish by challenging me in return, eh? I think the two of us should know our place before we shoot our mouths off, shall we? Now, I think I have something that _will_ interest you; A new project."

"Heh, so what will it be, vampire? Do you want me to make you a weapon of mass destruction that will make genocide appear harmless? Do want me to seek a dragon's hoard for you while offering me the half in return?" says the boy apparently irritated by the stranger's offer and stubbornness. _Why won't he just leave?_ "Do you want me to create you an army a thousand fold larger than that of Alexander the Great so that you will be able to conquer Europe with as much breaking a sweat?"

Clark the vampire's eyes blinked twice in disbelief of the boy's words. At that exact moment the barkeeper returns with a large green bottle that had a yellowish parchment pasted at its front.

As the barkeeper pours Clark's drink into his glass, a mischievous smile creeps upon the man's lips, causing a slight unease on the boy's part before he says, "You speak as if you had a hand in those things that you have relayed. No, this project will be a whole lot different than your past ones."

Lifting his glass to his lips, the vampire takes a sip from his drink before setting it down again to add, "I want you to build a house,"

"Wha—?"

* * *

The moon had finally shown once the clouds have drifted away from the busy village, though it seems like the night still goes on and still remains dark at the few corners of the loud settlement. Though despite the eerie howling echoes that sounded at the alleys, the gentle autumn breeze kept the atmosphere on almost anywhere at the village comfortable and accommodating, yes even the cold backstreets behind the pub.

From the dim light of the moon and that of the main streets, the two distinct shapes of people could be easily seen within the alley. The shorter one seemed to be leaning with his back against the cold wet stone wall of the building he just exited while the other merely sat on an empty wooden crate. The second figure seemed to be a bit taller than the first one and appeared to be more relaxed with the situation.

The scuttling of the mice and the flapping of the pigeons asleep in their nests above the rooftops seemed to be the only things that pierced the two men's silence aside from the faint sound of the crowd at the distance.

"So what do you think of it? Of my offer? It seems reasonable, doesn't it?" says Clark while nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders with a bright smile on his face, "An easy job with a wage that's more than fair, let's say a hundred thousand gold pieces? You don't have to worry about paying for the materials that you'll need for I will surely take care of it to lighten your burden."

Still scowling, the boy releases a small puff from his nose as if still uncertain of the vampire's strange request.

"A house?" he repeated incredulously for the fifth time, "Are you certain that you haven't confused it with a fortress or castle? Just a simple house, no Wyvern guarding the front gate, no dramatic appearance or anything that could considered….. Otherworldly?"

"Yes, a normal house big enough for my family to live in and no I don't need something as grand as those things," explained the vampire with a light chuckle, briefly exposing his fangs, "And also if I may request you to keep a simple and one track mind while near me. I tend to get bored easily with excessive formalities and other boring whatnot. Ahahahaha!"

_If it weren't for his lack of reflection and red eyes, I'd say he's just another normal human. He sure is a strange one, _thinks the boy as he watches the vampire give in to his laughter, _has he no pride for his race? The vampires that I've encountered so far were more different, serious and wicked, whereas this person…. No, I have to stay alert. I can see that this is no normal vampire before me; looks can be deceiving after all. I need to stay vigilant and do what he asks me to get this done quick…_

"Very well…." Answers the boy, reluctance evident in his tone as he rubs the back of his neck, "So for what reason would you hire me anyway? You do know that all sorts of strange people come and go this valley, meaning that if any anomalies concerning your activities here were to rise, the church will know about it faster than you can say 'a barrel full of bad apples'. Are you really sure that you will have your home near such a dangerous place? Why not move unto somewhere your family is more comfortable?"

Clark was silent for a moment as if he had not considered the thought before, however it seemed like he already did for with a smirk on his features he says, "Well, this area has been tranquil for the past century hasn't it? Yes there a few hazardous risks here and there but it is the only place that I know of in which I know where my daughters could be safe."

Looking up from the ground he stares the boy straight in the eye, the crimson orbs meeting the gray ones, he then adds, "You have just arrived two winters ago, aye? Well you see here boy I have been citing this land for over a century and so far it seemed like an ideal place for my family to dwell in. I know far more about this land than you do and you will have to be careful lest you want me to alert my contacts."

"Oh," replies the boy coolly as if to mock the vampire before him, "Well pardon me good sir for my impudent manners. But I was merely expressing my concern for your….. Unlife? Rest assured that your request will be done. Even half heartedly…."

"Good! Now it's best not to meddle with a vampire's business lest you are interested in suicide!" laughed Clark in a rather unruly manner. He seems to be too loud for a vampire. The young man wondered of his origins and…. Did this man just mention daughters? From what rumors say, vampires are not able to reproduce through birth due to being….. A walking corpse, but how?

The young man shook his head in confusion. Clark was correct, it is better not to meddle with vampire's business even though he was the very center of it.

"Well, before I get to work may I ask for a small favor on my part?" asks the boy, uncertain whether the vampire will consent of his idea.

"Very well, if I will be able to receive your full cooperation then why not? Let us hear it," comes the vampire's answer, leaning close even though it was not necessary with his heightened senses.

"I'll have to ask you to find other means of sustaining your diet _without_ laying a single hair upon the humans that reside here, do I make myself clear?"

A mischievous smile creeps across Clark's features as he replies, "That will not be a problem. I have arranged everything beforehand. I am a light eater so there is no need to worry about my victim's death and— ah, ah , ah I have not finished yet so please save that glare for later. As I have said that most of my victims survive long after I have fed upon them but do not think even twice that I will harm the people of this quiet village even if it means feeding my family. No, I have an acquaintance that provides me with our food supply and as much it is looked down upon by others of my kin, I think myself and my family as more civilized than actual hunters of the night. Barbaric fiends most of them…. This acquaintance of mine is just like you, one who works for the supernatural in exchange for gold. One who will never give out secrets, very much like you so there is no need to worry."

_A vampire who dislikes the presence of other vampires? Or maybe he just doesn't want to be placed in the same group as the others,_ echoes the boy's thoughts, _this man is strange alright. To speak so openly about his own kind just like that and he says he's a light eater? Victims survive even after feeding upon them… Doesn't that heighten the risk of the human becoming a thrall or vampire? If he's able to aid the human into maintaining their mortality long after feeding upon them, then he must be quite skilled. And to be that skilled he has to be quite old and wise. This is not something normal…_

Sighing, the boy finally gives in and says, "Very well. I shall hold you to your word. The building materials and the site that you want it to stand, give me the list tomorrow night. I will meet you once more tomorrow night, at the outskirts of the village. The little conversation at the bar may have attracted unwanted attention, and I really would appreciate it to have my head still connected to my neck"

"Tomorrow night already? Well, I see that you are eager to get started already, or do you just want to finish this so that you can leave in peace, hm?" says the vampire with an annoying smile plastered on his face. His eyes twinkling behind his glasses as he awaited the boy's answer.

To his disappointment the young man began to walk away.

_D-did I offend him? _Mirrors the vampire's thoughts as he just remembered what he was supposed to ask a few minutes before.

"Wait!" calls Clark, his hand hovering before him in a gesture for the young man to stop.

His footsteps coming to a halt, the gray eyed youth turns to face the vampire once more and in an irritated tone he asks, "What do you want?"

"You still have not given me your name. It is vital for me to at least know the name of the person I have just hired. Besides I have given you mine so it is only natural for you to give me yours."

The boy considers this for a moment before finally making his choice.

"Corvice, Corvice Samuel Mason. It is better for people to know nothing of my name; after all, names have power. It can even make an all immortal god fall to its knees"

"Corvice…. Derived from Corvus which means 'crow' in Latin. So should I be referring to you as 'Crow' now?"

"You're mistaken. Back in my hometown, they refer to me as the 'child born under the raven sky' so in turn my mother named me that way. The strangest thing is that my village never saw me as a bringer of bad luck considering the superstitions of others all over the world regarding the crow. However you are correct, Corvus does indeed mean crow, but you may never know if this is one bird that will truly act his nature"

Seemingly satisfied with the boy's answer, the vampire widens his smile and waves his left hand as a gesture of good bye, "I see, farewell then, friend. And may you reach your coven safely."

Without as much paying the vampire a second glance, the boy sets off into the night in his journey home.

* * *

**Year: 1505**

**Date: October 28**

**3:56 Anti-meridian**

**England, Construction Site twenty miles from the Village, The Outside**

* * *

A week after the human and vampire's agreement had passed, Corvice immediately set to work and the manufacturing of the 'house' had been going on smoothly ever since. The vampire came to check upon the boy's progress and was quickly impressed on how Corvice managed to gather all of the materials he needed for the construction of the building. As time went on, plans seemed to have changed.

One night as Clark came to check upon the boy's work, Corvice found him sporting several rips upon his person while his left boot was missing as he displayed a healing cut on his cheek. Corvice merely raised an eyebrow as Clark explained with a quick "wife" before collapsing on the ground.

It seemed like Madame Scarlet (yes that is Clark's current surname) was the one who requested her husband to find a person capable of meeting her demands in regard of her house. It also seemed that she wished that the 'house' was to be larger than what her husband previously envisioned.

"A mansion?" asks Corvice as his eyes scanned every word written upon the parchment he within his hands with mild surprise, "Well, this seems to be more of what I have expected for it is completely in contrast with your simple description."

Corvice held up a badly drawn box with a triangular roof upon a paper for Clark to see.

"I'm afraid that I couldn't draw art even to save my own life, so it seems that you will have to excuse its bad quality," explains Clark with a half-hearted shrug before reaching out with a hand and taking the drawing away from Corvice's hand. "Well from afar you could almost see the superior workmanship, if I do say so myself. You do know what they say, lad, one must step away to appreciate a work of art!"

_Well, it's good to see his ego still in place for a vampire, _thought the boy as he releases a tired sigh. He then examined the list Madame Scarlet had delivered to him of what he was supposed to do. Based from what the note had said, Clark's wife requested the same style and structure as those mansions she had seen as she was passing through Paris only that it would have to be made through Corvice's own design.

Roughly a third of the size of the great Roman Coliseum. This woman was either very demanding or just plain mad, but at least she was giving the boy specific instructions and the general detail of what he was supposed to construct unlike her husband…

_Hmm, even at that size it's too big. I could make it, yes, but the question then would be how would I hide it? Maybe the size of a normal mansion would be fine and all I have to do is rework the space within the mansion itself. Expanding the space within without increasing the mansion's bulk seems like a work for magic…_ Corvice the glances to his side where his supplies were located. The boy was then deep in thought before he finally makes his choice, startling the elder vampire who was resting on the grass.

"That's it!" exclaims Corvice while keeping a serious face, "All I have to do is plan out a design that will meet both of your expectations thus creating something that is both grand and simple. I need to call upon those spirits again to lend me a hand in this one. But in order to call them, I'll have to pay them their wages… For that I need…."

Turning to his right side, Corvice stares down at the vampire below him, "I need gold, lots of them."

"Eh?" came Clark's confused reply.

"I'll explain once you do so. Think of it as if I'll be retrieving more supplies for this construction. Your wife is a very demanding woman from the looks of things"

"O-o-okay, though you do not know half of the story about my wife."

"And I have no wishes to know more than I already do," replies Corvice, eyeing the spots where Clark received many injuries as he made his way to the site.

With a silent agreement, the vampire had left for his home as he sensed dawn fast approaching. It seemed like that it was going to be another dull night.

* * *

**1 week after that night.**

**7:44 Post- meridian**

* * *

It was sunset and the night was slowly swallowing every bit of the sun's rays in the cool November sky. Corvice had just finished re-heating the mortar he had just processed and was now taking a short rest as he sat upon a closed wooden crate. Behind him, the sounds of hammers and wheels turning were heard. Gulping a drink of water from his water skin, Corvice then noticed the faint sounds of hooves and wooden wheels coming towards the construction's location. Feeling a cool breeze blow overhead, he closed his eyes and waited for the visitors to arrive.

When the boy had opened them once more, he was barely surprised to see Clark sitting at the driver's seat of a black coach wearing his silly top hat at the roof of his head. The vampire's smile did not seem to disappear from the moment the boy had met him, though it seemed like Corvice was already used to this. The young man could not help but wonder of the person sitting within the coach.

Has Clark finally decided to introduce his wife to the boy? Whoever it was, Corvice did not care. Clark's usual presence was irritating enough and it would not do him good by entertaining the presence of another , Corvice turned to look towards somewhere to his left in an attempt to ignore the approach of the elder vampire towards him.

"Well, are you ready to meet her?" asks Clark assumingly with a bright smile upon his face.

At that, Corvice could not help but blink twice before asking in return, "Meet who?"

"How rude, did I not tell you that I was about to introduce you to my eldest tonight?" says Clark, chastising the boy for his poor memory, "For shame my friend! You do not realize that you are about to see a living wonder of the world!"

Corvice slowly raised his eyebrows, threatening them to disappear above his fringe as he resisted answering back; _Living wonder? How could she be living when she's an undead vampire?_ He was glad that he had managed to stop himself before he suddenly found himself dead on the ground. Clark was one thing when he was insulting his own kind_, _but Corvice thought that he would be something different if the boy ever dared speak that way towards his own flesh and blood.

Deciding to play along for the deceivingly naïve elder's sake, he then asks, "Living what?"

Smirking, Clark prepared to impress the young man with his beloved jewel's beauty by calling her out, "Oh Remilia, time to come out now~!"

Not a moment too soon, the carriage door slowly swung open and the first thing Corvice saw was a pink shoe step out from within the coach before a young girl emerged from behind the coach door wearing face mixed with confusion and bright curiosity. Her father then gestures her to go to him who caused the little girl to jump and skitter towards the elder vampire, hiding behind his back. The girl then tentatively peeked from behind Clark, staring at Corvice with her cherry red eyes.

In return to this action, Corvice tilted his head slightly to the left inquiringly for he has never seen a child with a light shade of blue as the color of her short wavy hair.

"Now, now Remilia, there's no need to be frightened, this man is my friend and rest assured that he will not harm you. Corvice is a good human, correct me if I'm wrong, Corvice," says Clark while giving him a quick wink, however the boy's response to this was to cross his arms in front of his chest and sigh disappointedly as he shakes his head. He then ceases shaking his head the moment he had noticed this girl, 'Remilia' as Clark had called her, pluck up the courage to reveal herself and net her knees as a gesture of a curtsy.

The young man then acknowledges this with a nod of his head before turning towards his employer and asks, "Can we talk over there?" The boy then points towards behind the carriage where he thought it would be the most private to hold a conversation.

Starting off with on a brisk walk, Corvice quickly made his way behind the coach with Clark following him from behind.

As they reached their destination, Corvice then proceeded to turn towards Clark's direction and ask with a serious expression, "I can put up and tolerate your presence as I work, but bringing your own child here is much worse! What does your wife think of me, some mind of nanny that has to look after her husband and eldest child while she…she…..she does whatever she does?! Do you not know of the risks of her being here? What if there was to happen and—"

"Friend, I would have to ask you to calm yourself," says Clark, cutting off Corvice in the middle of his sentence. The boy had no choice but to clamp his jaw shut and listen to the vampire's explanation.

"Good, now that I have your attention, allow me to explain. Now _she_," Clark the jabs a thumb behind him, directing it towards his daughter, "Needs more fresh air. It has been twenty years since she has last seen and ventured outside of our house and I only found it right that she deserved to see the moon once again. Due to her shy nature, the girl barely leaves the house if I do not even go out of my way of bringing her along. Besides that, Madame Scarlet insisted that I take her. You do know how my wife is, hm?"

"yes, yes, but—"

"No need to worry my friend. If you are troubled that if anything would happen to her, let's say if she got caught by the church, and that if you were proven to have been involved with a vampire, I will make sure that you will have not be caught. She is with me, and I am her father. I will keep her safe"

"KYAAA~! FATHER!"

"You just had to say something," deadpans Corvice before the two them went around either side of the carriage as quickly as they could. Balling his right hand into a fist, Corvice proceeded to gather electricity upon his hand while expecting the three of them to be surrounded. A few moments passed and he let his entire body relax as he found the little vampire sitting on the grass as she poked the soft surface of the formless green spirit that by some miracle held on a wooden mallet without the aid of hands.

Clark on the other hand was on the verge of a heart attack as he realized what had happened. Corvice was ready to gamble his entire wage for this project that Clark was thinking on how to explain things to his wife if anything were to happen to his daughter.

Setting his hands to his side, Corvice then approaches the little vampire and kneels beside her as she and the spirit she was interacting with were poking each other playfully.

"Alright that's enough fun poking the vampire. Get back to work already," scolded Corvice as he addressed the greenish transparent spirit which seemed to shake its entire body twice before rushing off somewhere.

Remilia only blinked twice before turning her head towards Corvice and ask, "What was that?"

"That? A spirit, worker spirits from nature. I call them Wisps," replies Corvice in a nonchalant manner.

"Ah, but I thought that only sorcerers or sorceresses were the only ones who controlled and enslaved spirits to do their bidding?" questions Clark as he steps in front of his daughter and begins to dust off the dirt upon her pink dress as he knelt down.

"Those people _enslave_ spirits and use magic to bind them. I, however, am an amateur when it comes to the arcane arts so magic is not an option for me," gazing upon the construction site before him, "I _befriend_ spirits, not enslave them. I specifically choose the spirits that have love for building, for creating so that they are not doing something against their will and nature. No, I let them run free; give them instructions and new ways of creating something worthwhile. I give them the chance to relive what they were when they were still alive and well. I'm kind to them and so they are kind to me."

"Ah, so that explains the rumors of your completing a full scale project in the matter of days," says Clark who seemed impressed by the amount of spirits the boy has 'befriended'.

Before them lay the construction site in which first appeared to empty and devoid of any signs of life only to surprise onlooker by tools flying at random times in the air, hammering and sawing as they did their respected tasks. There appears to be no one working at a first glance, however if one had a sharp eye or just waited for a few seconds, they will be able to see numerous greenish blobs float in the air rushing about the place.

Three blobs were erecting what seemed like wooden pillar which perhaps will serve as the mansion's temporary foundation while four more blobs whizzed past the three people with large heavy blocks on top of them. Five blobs on the east corner were tending to the flames of the forges where three more blobs seemed to wait impatiently for their turn.

Over at the supply area, one big red spirit was overseeing the progress of six lesser green spirits as they sawed, hammered, disassemble; put back together numerous pieces of materials. The red one seemed to be angry with the drones' sluggish movements and urged them to go faster by making it glow. The workers were alarmed enough to go as fast as their incorporeal hands can go.

When Corvice turned to see Clark and Remilia's faces, he saw that the former one was sporting a shocked expression with his jaw hanging loosely from his mouth while the latter's eyes seemed to shine at the prospect of catching one of the cool and soft creatures.

"There's so many…" says Clark in a weak voice, a dark shadow covering his eyes in disbelief.

"They're so adorable!" squealed Remilia in delight in contrast with her father's reaction.

"Wait, what?!" roars Clark while holding his hands up defensively. Remilia turns to face her father while keeping both of her hands behind her back.

"Dearest father, may I ask your permission for me keeping at least one spirit for myself?" asks Remilia ignoring her father's incredulous look. From what Corvice was seeing, he noticed that Clark was not the type of father that could easily say 'no' to his child. If this were the case, Corvice will be losing a worker, and he knew that he was going to lose more than one knowing that the child was…. a bit pampered. His eyes trailing to the elder vampire who was rubbing the back of his neck, Corvice chose the time to intervene.

"Excuse me to interrupt this, however I cannot allow you—"

"YOU CAN TAKE THEM ALL! ANYTHING FOR YOU MY DEAR~!"

_Dammit I was too slow… _echoes Corvice's own voice within his mind. The boy was about to scold the elder vampire, but was stopped by Clark smiling as he gestured Corvice to stop. This action miraculously worked and the boy's head unconsciously faced the direction in which the younger vampire flew off to. There, he found the tiny vampire grab a spirit from its task and proceeded to hug it tightly as she tumbled around the air, giggling like any human girl would whenever receiving a gift.

Releasing a sigh, Corvice decided to let this one pass. It seems like letting her have one, but not a dozen wouldn't hurt. He would have to increase the spirit's benefits in the future in compensation for its noble sacrifice.

"Ahh, the innocence of the youth…" sighs Clark as if he were daydreaming.

"Wisps aren't toys, please keep that in mind" replies Corvice in a cool tone as he stepped away to return to his work in which the vampire only smirked at. As the boy headed to check the forges once more, he was were that the elder vampire was following him from behind, looking around the construction site with mild interest. To kill time and prevent Clark from doing anything stupid while in the middle of the site, Corvice decided to explain to him the basic principles of mixing mortar and heating steel.

Clark was a good listener despite his airy nature and annoying tendency to show a suspicious smile once in awhile. Corvice began to wonder what was running through that vampire's head. Was the man even listening? Ah, that may be a story for another time…

"Why did you bring her here?" asks Corvice without warning. The young man comes to a halt a few meters from the site and into the outskirts of a forest. Turning around, he finds the elder vampire leaning on a tree with a thoughtful expression as if he were choosing his words.

Blinking, the vampire's eyes trail towards the boy as he says in all too innocent tone, "What do you mean by that?"

"I know that you're planning something in that thick skull of yours and don't say that 'we've already talked about this' because I know that you have other motives. Care to share them?"

"So what is it? I cannot even bring my own child to her future mansion? Oh dear that would be like I'm hiding something from my own daughter, the truth of what she'll inherit. And I never keep anything from anyone, especially not to my own child,"

Corvice let out a snort, clearly not satisfied with the vampire's words.

Sighing in defeat the vampire says, "Very well. From what I can tell, you're worst than my wife…"

"Out with it," barks Corvice, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Haven't you guessed it yet? I hinted it awhile earlier," begins Clark, shooting Corvice an assuming glance, "you did catch it, I believe?"

Shaking his head in confusion, Corvice says, "No, I have no clue of what you are speaking of."

"The truth. Do you see it? Can you feel it in your mind? The truth on what lies deep in your very soul?"

"You are not making the slightest sense…"

"I see it in you. There lies in you a pathetic wounded creature, hiding behind a cloak that conceals what you really are and feel"

Corvice stiffened at that and gazed at the stoic vampire with wide eyes.

"Oh ho ho, so I am correct. Let's see, it's been two centuries since you chose to hide that truth, however the wound is still there. Interesting…" says Clark with his own red eyes staring back against the gray ones of the 'human' boy.

Corvice's eyes slowly rested unto his gloved right hand. Taking the leather glove off, pure white electricity began to course through his palms before disappearing again. A memory flashed of him lying on the sand filled ground as a dust storm blew all around him. The hymn of the wind that was filled sadness mixed with the wicked laughter of two women reached his ears. He has not forgotten of the ones that made him what he was now, and he will make sure that they will not forget him either.

"You have the power to see the truth within people," states the boy as he fought to keep his composure. What has happened…. All he want is to keep it hidden even for just a little longer. He cannot afford himself to be troubled by it for now. With these thoughts he then continues, "Coaxing out their darkest secrets just by looking at them and begin reading them. Your power revolves around any kind of truth, may be it the truth in words, actions and being, you can easily identify it."

A sly smile begins to make its way across the vampire's features as he says, "Well, that saves me time explaining it to you. Yes, I see the truth however I cannot manipulate it or bend it to my will."

"And from those truths you then deduce what might have happened for your object of interest to hide it," says Corvice, narrowing his eyes.

"Not only would I be able to deduce what may have happened but I may also do something in order for that truth to surface. To make my, object of interest as you say it, realize it and accept it," replies Clark with a satisfied grin now that the boy has caught on.

"So what was the reason for it? For the girl?" asks Corvice finally growing impatient.

"On whim, I believed that she would somehow help you move on. I don't know I think strangely at times…." Replies Clark in a rather strange way as he gazes far off into the distance. A loud smack indicated that the boy had finally unleashed his contained irritation for the past week in the form of a fist to the vampire's jaw.

Without further ado, the boy attempted to storm back to the construction site when Clark spoke again, stopping him on his tracks.

"I expected you to hit me, however I have never expected you to hit me that hard," complains the elder vampire, fixing his glasses which somehow survived the boy's assault as he tried to regain feeling of his jaw. He was actually a few seconds away from biting his own tongue. "There's actually one more thing I would like to know, Mr. Mason"

"What do you want? I'm very busy!" growls the boy.

Sitting cross-legged, the vampire then answers with a question while bearing a cunning expression, "Your women preferences. I would like to know them."

"What?!"

"I would like you to give it some thought for now. Remilia will gain herself a possible suitor right here right now and I will be able to raise her into a woman of your liking."

Turning around with a shocked look on his face, Corvice began sputtering on his words, "wha-! How-!? What?! No, wait—! You… you indecent fool! What kind of father would do such a thing to his own daughter! How could even think of such a thing?! I'm just a builder for hire and— Dammit all, you're the worst! You're impossible, hopeless!"

The vampire watched as the boy turned his back on him and proceeded to head back into the site.

Seeing all of this happen the vampire then mutters in an inaudible whisper, "So he's interested in the silent types, hm?"

* * *

It was four hours to dawn when the coach left with both vampires saying their goodbyes. Corvice was left all alone at the site once he gave the Wisps his permission for them to leave. Most of them were glowing more brightly though slightly shaken by Remilia's playful attitude. Corvice knew they had both a tired and rough time so he better make them rest early for them to be more efficient the next time he needed them.

Rubbing the back of his head as he gazed at the now deserted location he was in, he started to feel a tiny twinge of regret for making the Wisps go home earlier than scheduled. Releasing a heavy sigh, the boy then strengthens his resolve of working alone.

He then grabbed a shovel that was lying around and started to dig a hole on the ground for a pillar to stand on. With every time he dug on the ground, he was then reminded of what the vampire had told him. How could that girl do anything about him? How could she help him take his mind off those people that made him into what he was? It's impossible, really.

An odd sound forced the boy's task into a grinding halt as a breeze blew by. The wind was not strong enough to make an entire sack of sand to fall flat on the floor. Straining his ears and his limited vision, he tried to make out what made that noise. He could feel a faint presence in his midst. It was somewhere around the site, though the only problem was he had no clue on where it is now.

"Who's there?" he calls, receiving no response. Gripping his shovel and placing it at his side, he then slowly walks through the construction site, alert of any sudden movements that his vision caught.

Looking up at the starry sky, Corvice then realizes how late it was and how peaceful the night seemed. The day animals were probably resting comfortably in their dens now. The thought made the boy feel drowsy all of a sudden.

He was about to dismiss the noise earlier and call it a day when all of a sudden, a sandbag hit him from above. Groaning in pain, the boy proceeded to shove the sandbag from his stomach only to be surprised to hear it yelp. Sandbags do not yelp, they do not even have the voice to do so, unless…

Rubbing his aching ribcage, Corvice sat up and through his eyes which were watering in pain he saw a little girl clad in red with two fluttering wings sprouting from her back.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: Again, **I do not own Touhou or any other touhou related materials.**_

_Well, Felicita doesn't seem to want to make an editor's notes this time since she's exhausted like me. maaaan, were those exams nightmares. They completely slaughtered us all! _

_Well, that's all. Special thanks to the guys at the review sect for keeping my decreasing morale up! _


	14. Memory Chapter 3: Gone to the dogs

_Nicolas Notes:_

_At the deepest depths of nightmare's farewell,_

_Trees lie fallen, grass painted in vermilion ink._

_The hand of Zeus striking a silver bell,_

_Truth surfaces as the chains of fate begun to link._

_**{Warning: a lot of blood is ahead, leave if you must}**_

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Yukkuri_**} {**_Normal**} {**Hard_**} {_Lunatic_} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**MEMORY CHAPTER 3: Gone to the Dogs**

**Year 1505**

**Date: November 4**

**2:00 Anti-meridian**

**England, Hut by the Vermilion Lake, the Outside**

* * *

"Very well, so allow me to make this clear," says the young man, as he pokes the smoldering hot stones beneath the steaming kettle, an irritated look upon his features, "You are Clark's second child?"

"Yes!" replies the little girl with glee, her black wings fluttering causing her red dress to ripple from the wind.

_Wonderful, another pest that I have to deal with….. This is an invasion,_ thought the boy sarcastically as he tried to think of something.

Corvice was now back in his hut at the edge of the lake, tending to his kettle's fire while he listened to the girl who introduced herself as Clark's daughter's story on what she was doing at the site. Corvice had hard time listening due to irritation, sleep deprivation, hunger, and the fact that he needed to act nice before his employer's daughter. Clark's daughter was nice girl, though Corvice hated having guests over his house, not that he could call it a house anyway.

The dark brown interior somehow provided an air of comfort and coziness despite its gloomy appearance. The wooden walls were sealed tight so that no draft would find its way in during the night. The place felt warm because of the heat that came from the fireplace.

Still, it was a very small house with only one room. The bed was tucked into a corner next to a messy desk and a cluttered wardrobe field with unused clothes. A single candle stood at the top of said desk while being buried in a pile of papers. This could prove hazardous if the candle was ever lit.

At the opposite corner sat an old comfortable chair with the circular window directly behind it. At the middle of the room's floor lay a dust beaten carpet in which a small circular table wrought from wood, stood surrounded by three wooden chairs, one being sat on by the little vampire girl. The entire hut was not exactly too 'stuffy' for two four sided windows were open at either side of the front door. From outside said windows, the silver moonlight flooded in, adding to the illumination the fireplace was giving.

Taking the boiling kettle from the flames, Corvice proceeded to fill in two cups with hot water while having teabags sitting within them, before he placed them on a tray and offer the first one to the girl. Her smiling face turning into a frown, the little vampire girl reluctantly accepted the warm tea within her cup, eyeing it curiously before gulping it down in one drink.

"Yuck!" says the girl in disgust, "This does _not_ taste like strawberry juice. Mama makes nice ones every time before Flandre goes to bed."

"Well, I apologize for it's the only tea I have available. And I certainly wasn't expecting guests….In the middle of the night, where I'm supposed to be asleep," adds Corvice with a hint of sarcasm, "And I've never heard of a vampire drink the juice of strawberries, doesn't your kind usually drink bloo—?"

The boy was cut off as he saw the genuinely clueless expression the little vampire before him had. _Wait… Don't tell me she…_

"Um, Mister, what's blou? Is it French? Flandre can speak French!" says the little vampire with pride, puffing her cheeks as a gesture for applause.

"N-never mind…" says Corvice uncomfortably in an attempt to change the topic, "So, what were you doing at the site? Why didn't you go with your father and sister when they were going home?"

It was obvious that the little vampire was taken back at this as she replies, "Um, ah, well… Flandre wanted to give them a surprise but fell asleep!"

_That has to be the worst lie I have ever heard of…._ Thought the boy before presuming, "So you were following them"

"F-Flandre was not!" says the vampire in her defense; however Corvice went on ignoring her words.

"It wasn't a question. Let me take another guess, your father has no idea that you were following him and your sister, correct?" The girl replied with a nod, "Then he also has no clue on where to find you first, your mother must be worried sick. What did you intend to do by following them?

The little vampire stared at her feet while playing with her dress, unable to decide whether to tell the truth or lie again. Corvice knew that she would tell the truth for this girl did not seem to be a complete liar. In fact, she was an honest child based on their conversation on the way to his house.

"I….I wanted to be with my sister…" says the girl in a hushed tone, "Flandre hasn't played with her for a very long time and Flandre wanted to show her sister many games she learned. Sister… I love my sister and I want her to be happy. Flandre will make her happy with her games, Flandre likes games. These days, sister seems sad, so Flandre wanted to turn her frown upside down!"

Before Corvice knew it the girl was on a roll, "Flandre may not know what her sister feels, but Flandre will make everything better! We'll play dolls, dress up, cooking, cleaning, flying, tag and many other things!"

'Flandre' or as the girl who called herself, raised her arms up and spread them in a wide arc to emphasize what she meant. Flandre then giggled to herself, before gazing at Corvice with the same cherry red eyes as her sister's, "What about you Mister do you like games?"

Scratching the back of his head, Corvice gave her his uncertain reply, "I… I don't play games, but I do know how to cook and clean"

"Uwah!" gasps Flandre in amazement, "Can you teach Flandre? Does your food taste good?"

"Um, maybe, however that's beside the point. You are not supposed to be here," says Corvice narrowing his eyes, this move however was a bad one for it caused the little vampire's eyes to water up a little. The young man was sent into panic at the sight and tried his best to calm the girl down. "Wait, hold on, I didn't mean to—"

"I- *hic* wanna go home. I-*hic* don't like it in this, dirty, smelly place *hic* ta-take me back home, now!" cries Flandre, tears sliding across her cheeks, "Mister is a big mean bully! Waaahhh!"

The entire hut suddenly began to shake as if in the middle of a large earthquake. Thinking fast, Corvice pinpoints the source of the tremor and realizes that Flandre was the cause. Nearby, an entire barrel of water exploded for no apparent reason, sending the young man once more into panic which caused him to declare without thinking, "Fine, fine, will you please keep it down! I'm going to take you home even if it's the last thing I'm going to do! You'll wake the entire countryside with all of this noise!"

And just like that the cries ceased and were replaced by an amused giggling. Corvice slowly takes his hands off his ears and gently opens his eyes just to see the childlike blonde vampire suppressing her laughter to herself but was doing a very poor job at it. The look upon Corvice's face must have been priceless for Flandre suddenly burst out laughing; eventually falling from the chair she was sitting on in her glee.

"Ahahaha, Flandre is such a good actress! Ahahaha!" laughs Flandre while rubbing her sides, her wings fluttering causing a small gust to blow.

The vampire then ceases her laughter and then gazes at the young man with a suspicious glint in her eyes as a mischievous smile spreads across her face, a smile similar to that of her father's. _She made me say what she wanted to hear… Clever girl, I think we'll get along just fine… _thought Corvice through gritted teeth, apparently irritated at the situation he had gotten himself this time.

Oblivious to the murderous thoughts blooming upon the boy's mind, Flandre continues to smile sweetly as she says, "Well Mister? When are we leaving? Mama's going to be soooooo angry if Flandre doesn't come home. You don't want mama to be standing on your doorstep, hm?"

_Apparently not as innocent as her sister, _thought Corvice as he tried to process everything that has just happened. It will not do good to say no after what he had just told her, she had his hands tied. Maybe if he did bring her home, he would be able to gain some extra coins, after that he will be able to build his house with better materials. This will be the last time someone will call his house 'smelly'. It smells perfectly fine, ah, vampires heightened senses.

"So, where does her young mistress reside? We would not be able to make the journey without a destination," asks Corvice in mock politeness, however it seemed like Flandre was delighted with this.

"Behind that mountain!" she answers pointing at east at a large snowcapped mountain filled with forests at its feet.

_Oh for the love of…. Fine, but why does it have to be there?! Why? Why? Why? WHY?! Ugh, this so frustrating, _growls Corvice internally but aloud he replies, "I-I-It will be done….Milady"

Wearing a long brown cloak and strapping a small pouch around his waist, Corvice detaches a strange implement on the wall and when was shown to the firelight was revealed to be a small crossbow, wrought from the hardest trunks of oak trees. A silver tipped quarrel already loaded within it, Corvice places it in its leather case which was strapped to his left leg as he makes sure he has enough ammo to last the trip.

"Umm, Mister, what are those for?" asks Flandre gazing at the weapon at the boy's thigh with bright interest.

"Oh, this? Well, it's a precaution," replies Corvice, grabbing his trusty spade, its wide shallow blade encased within a strange leather cover. Opening the door outside, the boy offers a gloved hand towards the vampire as the moon shone bright behind him along with the million of stars twinkling in the sky. "It's the full moon after all…."

* * *

"Uuu~ I'm tired! Flandre can't walk anymore!"

"Just be a good girl and keep walking, I don't have all night, you know?"

Thirty minutes after they have left the house, Flandre and Corvice have finally reached the foot of the mountain. The journey itself was uneventful and the moon was still high in the sky, which were good sign and was a bad sign. The good sign was that it was still long hours away from dawn and it would be troublesome to carry a vampire through sunlight. The bad sign was that it was still long hours away from dawn, which meant there are a lot of things creeping about at night, dangerous things.

_Ugh, and here I thought that vampires were physically superior to that of humans. Was everything I knew a lie? Wow, now that's shocker. Her constant complaints are driving me crazy! Anymore and I'll snap for good. She's still a child so maybe if she matures, her endurance will increase too. Or maybe vampire children are the same as human children when it came to their stamina. How old is this child, anyway?_ All of these thoughts ran around in Corvice's mind like a guard chasing a thief in the marketplace. It was chaotic and he did not know what to think of first, going from one to thought to another, he endured.

The vampire behind him did not help either. Always complaining that her feet were tired and that her wings were stiff. How can she fly with those tiny wings? How can it hold her weight? It felt like as if logic was being butchered before him. The boy then thought if those wings were only for show. Taking a glance behind him, he saw that somehow…. Those wings looked adorable on the vampire.

Flandre was taken by surprise when the human suddenly slammed his head into a tree, making the birds that were sleeping contently in their nests to take into the sky. A hand on his forehead, Corvice then grumbles something about losing his mind before turning to Flandre to say, "If you want to rest, then rest now. Though only for a minute, after that we move on. Are we clear?"

Flandre frowns and stares at him with disgust as she says, "Ugh, can't Mister find another place for Flandre to rest? This place smells bad. Very bad! Flandre can smell something stinky nearby. Flandre has been smelling it the entire trip,"

Corvice crosses his arms as he replies, "Please, this is no time to be a spoiled imp. Besides I can't smell anything. Your nose must be ready to fall off,"

"Flandre's nose is fine! Something smelly is nearby; I can sniff it in the air!" says Flandre, stubbornly stomping her foot on the grass.

"Then your nose must be too good for you. You must have caught a whiff of a skunk or something," says Corvice in a casual manner, determined to end the conversation now to get a move on. When suddenly, a bad image showed up in his mind, "Wait, do you mind describing what you're…. smelling?"

Flandre hands were covering her nose when she answered, muffling her voice she replies, "It smells like…like…. Like a rat only much worst. This thingy hasn't washed for weeks. It smells so bad it's making Flandre's eyes water…."

The cherry red eyes meet the gray ones as Flandre finishes, "Dog bad…"

A rustle in the bushes nearby was enough for Corvice's senses to enter alert mode and his mind to work itself to its maximum potential. _Time to go, NOW!_

Turning away from the bushes, he grabs Flandre by her arm, ignoring her protests, and proceeds to carry her on his back before breaking into a wild sprint. The bushes rustle once more before the sound of heavy paws was heard.

"Uwah! What are you doing?! And did the smell become stinkier?!" shouts Flandre over the sound of the young man's footsteps across the woodlands.

"Keep it down or they will hear us all! Don't you realize how much trouble you've just caused me?!" roars Corvice as he athletically leapt over a fallen log in one leap. Gritting his teeth, he makes a hard right into god knows where before shouting, "Checkmate!"

His heavy footsteps becoming light taps on the soil's surface, the young man's pace dramatically increases as the second goes by. Picking up enough speed, Corvice then warns his undead passenger behind him, "Hold on tight!" before stomping hard on the ground and launching himself into the air.

"We're flying!" squeals Flandre in delight as she clung on the boy's neck

"We're falling!" choked Corvice as he sticks the landing, crushing a lone shrub that was unlucky enough to be in the way. Not even stopping to rest, the boy dashes along.

Behind the duo, something big was chasing them. Its ragged breathing audible over the wind that was rushing past the boy's ears, the mere sound of its paws hitting the ground was a solid evidence of what was chasing them. And he prayed hard that it was not what he expected it to be. Looking up the sky, Corvice tried to make out where they were headed.

They were headed east earlier before he suddenly made a hard right during the chase. They were now travelling far up north that was good for he did not have any plans of backtracking the miles he and his passenger had covered.

Changing directions by heading to his left, Corvice splashes his way across a small creek, ignoring the pained yelps from the vampire behind him.

"Please be more careful, it hurts!" pleads Flandre, her grip around the boy's neck tightening. Corvice on the other hand was not able to reply for the vampire's arms were blocking his windpipe causing him to turn slightly blue and feel light headed.

He had to get away from whatever was following them. His was at a disadvantage if he were to be forced to fight it in the woods, a clearing or someplace wide and open. It's gone; the sounds of the beast's steps were gone. Maybe it turned back, left them alone. It would save him unneeded effort if it did. Before he even realized it, the boy was on all fours, breathing hard from the lack of air. Flandre was… Flandre was at his side, crying. She was… saying sorry? Asking for forgiveness? Ah, yes… She was the one who cut of his air supply and caused him to collapse.

But something else was there, was it not?

"What happened now?" growls Corvice as he leans on one knee on his way up. For some reason, Flandre jumps at him in fear of something, hiding behind him for protection. When the young man looked up, he then knew why. Directly in front of him was a large black furred wolf the size of two brown bears put together.

Its feral teeth and dagger sharp enough to intimidate and force a pack of wild lions to menacing features it had was accompanied by two disturbingly intelligent crimson eyes. Its black fur all over its body standing on end, making itself appear much bigger than usual, not that it was not large enough in the first place.

The worst part of it all was the smell. The acrid stench of rotting flesh between the creature's teeth truly did make the human's eyes water. It did not help that the wind chose the right time to blow a gentle breeze over head, causing Corvice to cough from the disgusting odor the beast before them was emitting.

The human knew he had to think quickly or else he and Flandre were goners. But how could he in the middle of this unpleasant smell and impending doom before them?

"Would you kindly leave us alone, we were just passing by and we meant no harm for your territory. We're just travelers going our way, please leave or—"

"Or what?" growls the wolf.

"Or I will have to report this little incident to your pack leader. We had an agreement, didn't we?" continues the boy defiantly, hiding what little fear he felt from his face.

"H-how can it talk?" asks Flandre in a weak voice. The wolf snarls and proceeds to speak in a low raspy tone. If wolves were meant to speak, this is how they would sound, "Silence, pathetic undead corpse! You have no place within this discussion!"

"Ignore her," says Corvice, waving a hand casually to which the wolf snarls at him in turn.

"So… The Alpha would not take it kindly to find you allying yourself with those of the bloodsucking mongrels of the east," continues the wolf, circling the two as the human hides Flandre from its view, "You reek of their stench"

"Just leave us be. I have no intention of allying myself with anyone. Remember that I treat every race with equality, may be it vampire, lycan, or human," says Corvice, his tone cold and firm, "I'm only trying to help. Remember it was I who fought for your pack when you were outnumbered by the hunters. Remember that I was the one who saved your pack leader's life when he was wounded. You or your leader has no rights to my allegiance. Be thankful for my kindness, you disgraceful mutt"

"Yes, it was you. And yes, we have no rights, however I can simply report to the Alpha that by aiding a vampire in _our_ lands can be considered an act of treason! It should be you who must be thankful for it is because of my Alpha's orders I have not attacked yet! His generosity is the one prolonging your pathetically weak life!" growls the wolf menacingly.

To the wolf's surprise, the human cracked a smile, "So…. Is that how it is?"

"Grr, these demons have addled your mind!" roars the wolf, bearing its sharp teeth for the two to see, "They have poisoned you, told you pretty lies like the weak worms they are! Molding you into a tool against us! See what they have done, they will bring about the end to _my_ tribe, _our_ tribe! You mustn't trust these monsters—"

"THEY'RE NOT MONSTERS!" yells Corvice, his gloved hand crackling with platinum colored electricity. The sight and volume of the human's voice was more than enough for the wolf to step back a bit, "Do you know what you are saying? Look at yourself! You're a beast! Mankind fears you, HOW DIFFERENT ARE YOU AND YOUR KIND FROM US?! WHAT MAKES YOU AND YOUR KIND SO SPECIAL THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN RISE ABOVE US?! You know what I think? I think these vampires, the three of them that I've met in these lands so far are much more human than any other that I've encountered,"

Corvice takes a step forward, right hand clenched into a fist.

"And you know what I think of you? I think that you are a barbaric slob with a twisted way of viewing things, yet why do I even bother? You're a stray wolf. Oh yes, would you mind showing me that brand beneath your neck. Heh, yes, I know of it. You were banished; no wolf with a hint of pride left in his blood would dare cross my path, because just as you said. There are orders from you Alpha not to get in my way, but would you being doing now, eh?"

"Do not attempt to use your silver tongue against me—"

"Because that's the truth! You don't even have a tribe to protect from this 'end' that you speak of! You are merely using this as an excuse! But what do you care? You're a brainless mutt to begin with so why bother explaining things that your tiny little brain wouldn't even recognize?"

Staring the wolf in the eye, Corvice finishes the pointless argument, "You're the one who's pathetic"

Turning his back towards the wolf, Corvice was about to take Flandre out of the clearing when suddenly.

"Mister, behind you!"

Stopping in his tracks, the human performs a quick spin, unleashing a curving electricity into the air striking the lycan straight in the eyes. The attack was then followed by an arc of streaming white electricity from Corvice's right palm before he released a shockwave strong enough to knock the hundred pound beast back towards into a tree.

It was then the time the boy chose to beat it, and grab the vampire once more and sprint back into the forest. Frustrated from his defeat, the lycan utters a bone chilling howl that was heard all across the mountain side.

"Remind me to thank you once we get to your home," says Corvice as he carried Flandre across the tree riddle terrain. The cool evening air reinvigorated him and somehow gave him the much needed energy he lost from running earlier. The time he had consumed during the confrontation with the lycan gave him was enough for him to regain his breath.

This was going to be a long night….

* * *

"Ugh, what kind of speech was that? It sounded awful…" grumbles Corvice.

"Mister, stop worrying about that now! They're still chasing us! Big bad doggies are chasing us!"

"I know, I know, stop screaming into my ear!"

Corvice had to side step a tree the last second in an attempt to lose the increasing number of wolves that were chasing them. All around them howls echoed into a never ending repetition, enveloping the faint heart's mind with cold fear.

The night wore on as Corvice ran. How long he was supposed to go, he did not know, all that he had in mind was he will not die on this troublesome night. His body enhanced by his skill earlier meant that he will be able to travel faster and withstand hours of running, yet why did he feel tired already? He had only gone a few years without the rush of battle and he has already rusted this badly. He was losing his touch.

The cold evening air stung his lungs as he breathed them in. The soothing aroma of the tree leaves from above were one of the few things that kept him in his wits and prevented his mind from bursting into complete panic. Years of practice and discipline taught him how to keep his cool in situations similar to this. All he needed was to know what his obstacles between him and his goal were, from there he would calculate the best ways to overcome the conflict and adapt to his predicament better while carrying out his supposed task.

"Umm, Mister…" whispers Flandre from the human's back.

"What? I'm kind of busy at the moment!" replies Corvice through gritted teeth.

"Flandre has to go…"

"What?!"

"Uuu~ can we stop for awhile. The shaking is making Flandre…"

"Wait, hold on! Can't you hold it in! We're almost there!"

"It's going to come out!"

"Why didn't you go before we left in the first place?!"

"Flandre would never think that this would happen!"

"Alright, alright! Just give me a second!"

Entering another empty clearing with a narrow creek snaking across it, Corvice decided to set Flandre down for awhile before he makes a quick stand in the place. He can still hear the calm late night breeze over his ragged breathing and rushing blood over his ears. Every sense he had opened up as his mind was on full alert.

The terrain before him was flat and the trees surrounded him similar to that of the arena kind. If caught in a battle, which he will be, there was nothing he can use to his advantage not to mention that wolves tend to hunt in pack or groups giving him the disadvantage of the fight.

Corvice then turns to Flandre and says, "If you want to go, now's the chance I'll hold off anything that comes this way. Am I clear?"

The little vampire nods and soon zips away as fast as she can, careful not to go too far from her only protector.

A low growl form behind indicated the arrival of the human's friends. Three more black furred werewolves found their way through the clearing. Stomping through the bushes at the other side on all fours as they glared at the boy with their blood red eyes.

"Alright, I'll play with you," says Corvice as a he adopts an expressionless face before pulling the spade from his back and charge towards the wolves.

The human stops half-way through the clearing and with a quick sweep on the creek before him with his spade, he catches the wolves by surprise as he splashes them with cold water. The wolf at the middle had finally lost its temper and chose the bad move by pouncing at Corvice.

"Need a little JOLT!" yells Corvice as he dashes backwards while unleashing a quick bolt of pure white electricity from his palms.

The bolt hits the wolf where Corvice exactly wanted it to be, on the chest. The human had no time to watch the first wolf roar and whimper as the unbearably painful sensation of having multiple needles pierce course through its body, when the second soaked wolf barreled through the left and deliver a bone crushing swipe with its muscular arm if it ever hit him. Corvice had enough time to react before the attack happened, so it confused the wolf greatly when it realized that it had just attacked a cool transparent mist in the air.

Corvice waited until the wolf's paw was firmly planted on the ground before solidifying himself and driving his spade right where the beasts paw is, piercing it on the grassy terrain. Crimson liquid streaked across the boy's expressionless face as they burst out from the punctured paw while the wolf howls in pain. This howl however was quickly silence when Corvice yanked the spade from its hand and mercilessly strike the wolf with it before raising it up again and slam the flat of the spade directly above the wolf's skull.

Corvice did not have time for a second strike when he completely forgot about the third wolf, which had his right arm in its iron grip before tossing him to the other side of the clearing. Clearing the blur out of his vision, Corvice saw that the first wolf was recovering from its electrical therapy and the third wolf was directly in front him while the second wolf was still out.

The third wolf decides to finish the boy off by crushing him with its muscular arms however Corvice had other plans. Releasing the leather cover of his spade, the human charges the roaring behemoth and for a split second transforms his entire body into fine mist once more before solidifying directly inside the wolf's guard. A quick spin while delivering a horizontal slash with the blade of the spade, Corvice leaves the third wolf wounded as it had its rib cage exposed as a result from the attack.

With his increased speed, Corvice makes his way to the first wolf, leaping high with his spade raised before thrusting the digging tool into the beast's open maw. Corvice plants his feet upon the dying creature's stomach and pushes himself away from it.

The werewolf fell dead, unmoving.

The boy rolls back into a kneeling position, breathing hard as he lands. It was not long before a crushing weight suddenly crashed on his right sending him flying towards tree trunk. Gasping for air, the human had enough time to see the bloodied third wolf wrap its powerful claws around his neck. With one quick twist, the beast could easily snap the boy's neck. Drawing out his crossbow from his side, the sound of an arrow zipping through the air was heard before the wolf miraculously released him as three crossbow bolts planted themselves firmly upon the creature's foot.

Spinning drunkenly to the right once, the human unleashed a stream of white lightning from his palms as they showered the beast in sparks. Intent on finishing the miserable creature's life, Corvice quickly reaches into the pouch he had around his waist for an arrow only to feel something grab him by his ankle and start pulling him against the ground. The human grunts in pain as he fell, dropping his crossbow when he did. He realized that he was travelling too fast and that his crossbow was too far from his reach.

Twisting around to get a view of his captor, Corvice finds the second wolf back on its feet while having its mouth red from the blood that was pouring through the human's leg. With its muscular neck and powerful jaws, the wolf succeeded into tossing Corvice into the air, making him land flat on his back on the other side of the creek.

He could hear it… His own heartbeat was pounding against his ears, blocking out all sources of sound. The 'Checkmate' was still active so the pain upon his left leg was still null, allowing him to think clearly. Yet why did he feel so exhausted? Maybe he used too much of his power already, but if he cut off the Checkmate right now then it would mean his immediate doom due to its after effects.

The werewolf was now approaching him slowly; expecting an easy meal after all the human has been through. All Corvice had to do was to bait it to come closer and it will be smooth cruising from then on. One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps, six steps…

_Now!_ He yelled internally before releasing an endless arc of lightning from his hand into the creek. The raw energy travelling across the waters and connecting with the wolf's paws, the beast had never expected itself to fall for a trap. Taking the creature's split second of pain, Corvice got up on his good leg and proceeded to limp his way towards the stunned wolf, striking it with a fist imbued with crackling power on its right cheek.

Receiving the hit, the enraged werewolf chose to retaliate by biting the human's head off, but with a quick duck the attack missed and was returned with an electric uppercut to its muscular neck. Giving the wolf no time to recover, Corvice placed his right palm upon the beast's neck and focused a large amount of electricity into it before the moment passed. The grass that stood upon the ground shook as the lightning bolt burst through the wolf's neck.

Corvice fell on the floor, still conscious yet his right palm bloodied and stunk of gore.

The boy's leg, clothes, hair were spattered with blood. His head hanging low, Corvice absentmindedly hovered his left palm over his injured leg as he mutters, "**Heal..."**

The human was about to relax when a familiar thumping noise reached his ears. "They just don't know when to give up, do they?" growls Corvice as he watches the third wolf dash with great haste towards him with its ravenous maw wide open. Corvice clenched his teeth as he pointed two fingers towards his incoming opponent, ready to unleash a deadly bolt in a few sec—

_**Kyuu!**_

The human's eyes grew wide as the wolf suddenly disappeared into nothingness, leaving none of its former form except for a few crimson fragments that rained down from the sky.

Flandre Scarlet stood at the very edge of the clearing, her arm outstretched while her fist was clenched tight.

* * *

After the exhausting struggle that occurred earlier, the two were now back on track as they make their way to their destination. They had only lost a few minutes so worrying about the sun rising would have to wait until much later. They may not have to worry about the sun at all for it seemed like they were already arriving at their goal.

Standing at the very foot of the mountain was a pure white mansion, surrounded by a wall of weathered gray stones. At the very entrance stood a large black gate made of iron remained motionless against the strong winds that blew across the plains that it overlooked. The mansion seemed to have been built at the edge of a forest where a plain lay wide open before it. The light from the shining silver moon from above seemed to be reflected by the smooth swaying grass below. At a first glance, the mansion seemed uninhabited, though it seems like that will have to change a few minutes later.

"Mister, you're too heavy. Flandre isn't strong, her arms hurt and she needs to rest," complained the little vampire to the human that hung below her.

"Just a little bit more! Those mutts are still chasing us, don't worry you're almost home," came Corvice's reply, his feet dangling from the ground by thirty feet in the air. His arms started to go numb from the lack of blood flowing in them. If his means of transportation happened to be a weaker creature then he would have fallen a long time ago. He was thankful of the tiny vampire's effort to lift him up, though he was sure that she did not have a choice but to repay him for his kindness of being with her on her way back.

Now to move on to something else to give thought of in order to ignore the enraged werewolves that were out for their blood ever since they had set out. For some reason, Flandre was still capable of flight despite the small size of her wings, which probably out of habit were still flapping themselves uselessly even when they logically were not supposed to be able to carry the weight of two people. And the way that she had vanquished that werewolf earlier, it was unbelievable when she easily willed the creature to cease itself from existing.

For a child to hold that much power, it is dangerous. Corvice began to wonder what sort of other secrets Clark has. Maybe that is the reason why the vampire is so content with his current life. He already has a weapon at his palm that he no longer needs to seek one out. If this girl were ever to be captured by the church, god knows what they will do with her.

_This family of theirs…. What could they be hiding?_

Magic may be the direct answer to this though there is also the possibility that the Scarlet bloodline may be embodied with a great deal of power, allowing them to do whatever they wish as long as it was within their domain, the domain of the night. Vampires of high caliber were capable of certain abilities; however this benefits only the pure bloods that are considered the strongest of their kind. If the Scarlets were indeed pure bloods to their name, then who knows how much power they were able to possess. The power to 'See the Truth' and 'Complete Obliteration', two abilities from that family, what could be the next?

"We're here!" exclaims Flandre in delight, landing before the front gate of the mansion. Letting go of the vampire's hand, Corvice approaches the gates and begins to shake them roughly while shouting, "Clark! I know you're in there, let us in! We're being chased so if you don't want your daughter to die then I suggest that you come out and save us RIGHT NOW!"

The mansion remained silent and still, giving the two outsiders no response.

"Maybe they're asleep," suggests Flandre, as she stares at her seemingly uninhabited home.

A howl at the distance indicated the arrival of uninvited guests.

"Oh wonderful, they're here…" says Corvice as sarcastically as he can, turning to face the wide plains.

Not a moment too soon, four more werewolves rose from the shadows as if residing in the shade itself. Once again, Corvice was outnumbered four to one and the odds were against him for he cannot go all out against them all when he was protecting someone. The moment he faces off with the beasts, Flandre might get hit by one of his attacks and disregarding her presence could prove fatal for wolves were smarter than they looked and would probably go as far as using the girl as a shield. That is if their minds were not addled by the moon.

The beasts' maws drooling in anticipation of avenging their fallen brothers and the prospect of a meal. Corvice can see the bloodlust in their eyes; they took pleasure out of taking the life of others, toying using their strength to cause fear. No wonder they were banished from their tribes, these wolves were beyond help for they have fallen too far.

"Papa!" cries Flandre in delight at the sound of the ash wood front door opening. Corvice kept his eyes focused upon the threats before him paying no mind at the sound of the gate unlocking and that of the sounds of footsteps approaching him.

A moment passed and the boy releases a sigh as a hand patted him on his shoulder, "You're late…"

Glancing over his shoulder, he finds Clark in a long sleeved white shirt and black pants, a golden hilted rapier within his grip while his silver hair was tied into a ponytail by a black ribbon. Giving Corvice his trademark smirk, the vampire replies, "A vampire that comes to the aid of a friend is neither late nor early. He arrives precisely when he means to!"

"Papa!" squeals Flandre, hugging her father's waist as tears fall from her eyes, "Flandre has been a bad girl! Flandre is sorry; Flandre will never do it again! Flandre will follow papa from now on! Flandre will be a good girl!"

"There, there. Nothing to worry about my dear, however your mother has been worried sick," says Clark, kneeling down to wipe his daughter's tears.

A wolf attempts to step forward but was forced to go back when an electrical spark missed its paw. "You are not ruining this happy family moment!" yells Corvice, apparently frustrated at the situation he was in. Too much, too much has happened in one night and his bottled up anger was reaching its peak.

"Thank you. Thank you for protecting my daughter," says Clark with a smile upon his face as he hugged his daughter, "You've done enough for the night, allow me to finish this."

"No, I'm going to finish this myself," replies Corvice openly rejecting the vampire's aid, "They're not worthy…. Hehehe, that sword of yours isn't worthy to be stained in the blood of animals. It would only dirty the Scarlet name by stepping down into their level."

Clark closes his eyes for a moment, acknowledging the human's wishes before addressing his daughter once more, "Flan, time to go. Big brother here will play with the puppies."

"But papa, will he be alright?" asks Flandre looking up to her father.

A nod from Corvice told Clark that everything was going to be alright and so he says, "Big brother is stronger than he seems. Now come, Mama's waiting inside and she wants to see you."

With that the iron gates closed shut as the two vampires entered the mansion, leaving the lone human behind to fend for himself.

"Now that the distractions are gone, may I ask you mutts a question?" Says Corvice, retrieving his spade from his back, "Which one of you sons of bitches want to die first?"

* * *

With the moon shining brightly upon the peaceful November sky, the human's question was responded with a soul-chilling howl from the wolves as all four of them charged towards his direction, ready to tear him apart limb by limb. Spinning his spade above him, ash colored clouds began to gather above the mansion as Corvice summoned them out of thin air.

The wolves were a few feet away when the air around them began to emit a strange metallic scent, causing their pupils to dilate and for a hint of fear to appear within their rage driven minds. From above the clouds uttered a deafening roar as a pillar of pure white lightning came down from the heavens and explode into the earth, the force of the blast scattering the first three wolves all over the place.

One wolf stood its ground and continued its assault once Corvice's opening attack had ended. Its ears deaf from the coming in contact with the sound of the lightning bolt with its sensitive ears, the werewolf raises its buff arms and opens its gaping jaw in an attempt to crush Corvice into the ground. The attack however was blocked by the human using his spade to parry the attack, forcing the wolf to bite down on the metal.

"Get away from me!" yells Corvice as he sends three electrified kicks into the beast's stomach but to no avail.

Shaking its head wildly, the werewolf releases its grip from the boy's spade and tries once more to sink its teeth unto Corvice's head. This time the wolf proves to be more successful as it had the human's shoulder between its teeth, causing an involuntary cry of pain from the human. The boy's blood flowing through its fangs, the werewolf could see its victory over the slayer of his brothers. He would feast upon this being's flesh and prove to all that—

"I got your eye…." Whispers Corvice, his gray eyes filled with indifferent hate.

Raising his right hand that was crackling with ivory electricity, Corvice ruthlessly drove his entire arm into the wolf's right eye, his lightning burning every obstacle in the way so that his hand can navigate easily through the beast's skull, gouging out the wolf's eyeball in the process. Red spattered upon the plants at the combatants' feet, the wolf did not have enough strength to withstand the pain of having its eye extracted so forcefully, and was forced to release the boy in order to release its pained howl.

_No one will save you now, your comrades are still down, _though Corvice as he let go of the bloody eyeball of the wolf and examine his scarlet stained arm.

Placing a hand over his injured shoulder, he fires a lightning bolt upon the ground, using the recoil as a boost to lift him up into the air. Once he was leveled with the howling wolf, he proceeded to grab it by its lower jaw with his right hand, which was imbued with electricity, and tore the wolf's jaw off its joints with deliberate force. The voltage within his hands were enough to burn away the flesh from the wolf's jaw and all it took for him to rip it off its place was the sufficient strength.

Rolling into a kneeling position as he lands, Corvice aims his outstretched arm towards the wolf's heart before releasing a deadly bolt which pierced through it.

The human wastes no time dashing towards to the rising werewolf to his right and deliver a blow which caused the wolf to stagger on its feet. Corvice was then caught by surprise for he did not expect the second wolf to recover so quickly and counter his preceding blow with a swipe across his chest, causing the human to fall flat on his back. If he had not worn that leather armor from the start of the day, then he'd be dead by now for those claws were as sharp as daggers.

Feeling shallow cuts appear on his skin as a result of the wolf's counterattack, Corvice watched as the werewolf raised its muscular arms and bring them down with all its strength. Stunned at seeing no battered body between its arms, the wolf had no time to react when Corvice solidified before itself and grab the beast by its snout. The creature was about to crush the human between its hands but too late, Corvice had already tore its snout off with his electricity, transferring a large amount of lightning all throughout the beast's body.

"**Hea—" **

The human was forced to halt his spell casting and plant his feet firmly on the ground as he launched out his right arm to meet with the third wolf's massive arm. Even with the effect of the Checkmate, Corvice's arm could not with not withstand the amount of sheer power that was delivered to it, causing the human to feel every bone he had to shatter into pieces. The wolf lunged its massive head forward but was put to a stop from biting Corvice's already wounded shoulder with his left arm.

Corvice could feel the flesh on his left shoulder tearing off as the wolf tossed him to the side like a rag doll, making him fall flat on the grass.

The human willed his entire right arm to recover using the simple spell he has managed to learn from his past travels. Regaining feeling of his right arm, Corvice just had enough to time to unleash an arc of continuous lightning from his palm, forcing the wolf to back track so that the boy had enough time to get back on his unsteady feet.

"Die you bastard!" shouts the human before raising his healed arm into the heavens and bringing it down as a bolt of lightning mimicked its movements.

The werewolf could only utter a whimper as the stream of raw power enveloped its form. The lightning's life did not merely last a split second but for ten deafening seconds it barraged the werewolf with its might and power. The beast's features burnt to a crisp with the bolt leaving behind a small smoldering crater around it.

This time hoping no more interruptions occur, the boy places his right hand on his injured shoulder, "**Heal"**

_I think… this….is the last of 'em….wait, weren't there four?_ Wonders Corvice, before a solid black wall slammed against him, tossing him back into the mansion's gate. _Where did he come from!?_

The wolf managed to pin Corvice to the gate by gripping both sides of his shoulder, though luckily for the boy is that he managed to force his hands between the beast's mouth to prevent it from snapping at his face. However the effort of doing so is wounding him as the werewolf's sharp fangs pierced through his palms and the crushing weight of the wolf's own hands were causing him some strain. Even with his limited movements, Corvice forced his head to tilt as far as it can to the right as he lost his hold upon the beast's jaw, almost biting and growling at the area where the human's head used to be.

_I have to get away; I have to get away…. Dammit what do I do? Ah, maybe that will work… _thought the boy as the warm sensation of the werewolf's saliva crawl on his exposed wounds.

Breathing in once and exhaling the moment after, Corvice focused all of the energy that he had to course faster than usual all over his body. His breathing and heartbeat going faster than it should, he felt like if he contained the amount of energy within him longer than he can, he'll explode. Well at least the plan was similar to that.

Focusing every bit of energy he had coursing through his body, Corvice channeled his electricity through his arms and electrocuting the werewolf into letting him go in the process. Finally getting what he wanted, Corvice managed to travel few steps before spinning again to block the werewolf's second assault. It seemed like the previous electric attack had completely paralyzed both of the beast's arms and was now relying solely upon its jaw to defeat the human.

Grown sick and tired of the predicaments that he has been set upon, the human proceeded to send another electric shock from his body and channel it into the wolf before slamming the beast's head into the ground as it was still in a daze.

The werewolf gasped in as much air as it can while struggling to get up from its prone position, however the effort was in vain for all it can at that time was to utter a low growl as it watched the human raise his spade above his head before he brought it down with all his might. Not content of striking the werewolf once with the flat of the spade's blade, Corvice went into frenzy as he bashed the helpless beast multiple times, not caring whether red liquid stained his discolored shirt or taint his newly brought cloak.

The human continued to beat the wolf senseless even long after it was dead and unmoving. It was until after twenty consecutive bashes did Corvice only cease, finishing the job by driving the edge of the spade upon the wolf's neck, beheading it. Pulling his spade out of the blood covered soil, the human casually picked up his fallen trophy and sigh in relief now that the battle was over.

**{MADNESS CORE INCREASED}**

A cold breeze blew by as the seconds passed, before a soft slow clapping broke the midnight silence.

Turning to the source of the sound, Corvice finds Clark at the other side of the gate, carrying what looked like a new fresh set of clothes. They're inviting him in?

"It is not common that I see a man single handedly take down four werewolves with only a few cuts and bruises," says the elder vampire, apparently and genuinely impressed of the boy's work, "Though it is even rarer, that I find a man that keeps a silver bladed spade with him all the time. Remind me to offer you a drink some time, you must tell me all your secrets."

"Well now…" begins Corvice as starts to approach the gate, the werewolf's head swinging carelessly in his right hand, "A builder always needs his tools ready in case he ever needs them. May be it tools for creating or….. Tools for war. Tell me Clark, where's that weak pathetic creature inside me now? Or have I been so truthful tonight on who I really am that you see nothing within me, but on the outside…. Can you see something?"

The vampire lowered his gaze, apparently choosing the right words. Corvice takes this as a chance to continue.

"Who would've thought, that the peace loving, mead drinking young man at the pub was actually more of a monster than these sons of bitches that lay here?" for the first time Clark has seen him, Corvice was actually smiling warmly despite being covered in blood, "Remember this my dear friend, I am not what you think I am and I am capable of most things that you can never possibly imagine"

"I see, then I will be more than happy to know more about you," replies Clark in his usual airy manner.

_It is official, this man is an idiot,_ thought the human the tension in the air around him disappearing as a vein swelled upon his forehead, though he did his best not to break his smile. _I bet he can't recognize a death threat when he sees one…._

"Now, if you would only step inside now so that you can dip yourself in our baths and relax after this long tiring night. You can't present yourself to someone of royalty looking like that, no?" says Clark as he opens the gate for the human to enter.

"Wait what? You want me to go inside?" asks Corvice, taken aback by the sudden invitation.

"You are covered in Lycan's blood and if I were correct, the rest of their pack will be on to you like a carrion flies to a corpse. It is simply foolish to go out into the forest looking like that, absolutely disgusting!" replies the vampire, ushering the human in, "Oh and my wife wants to see you…"

"That's much worse than having a pack of wolves after you!"

"Nah, it seems like she's in a good mood. Oh and Mr. Mason"

"What?!"

"Welcome to the Scarlet household"

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: This was due last week! Darn it all! I apologize greatly for keeping you guys waiting, but as you see my editor just lost her steam and is refueling as i speak. I don't think she'll be back for a long time._

_Anyhow, this was a bloody chapter. Orinally, this was how Laevateinn started, with the origin of the Scarlets and my own interpretation. But as I thought about it some more the more it seemed to grow until it became its own universe._

_So I really, really should thank you all for reading. I have to thank Achariyth1 for filling the place as editor. You really helped a lot, heh._

_So I think this is it for now... Way to start the month, huh? Well I pray to Kanako that I update more often... See ya!_


	15. Memory Chapter 4: The Lunar Lea

_Nicolas Notes: I'm grounded... And I bled like no tomorrow while typing. DOn't ask why, I"m just glad a new chapter's been posted before the end of the month. I have to thank Wolfsbane for Pre-reading! I can't thank you enough!_

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{_Yukkuri_} {**_Normal**} {**Hard_**} {**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**MEMORY CHAPTER 4: The Lunar Lea**

**Year: 1505**

**Date: November 4**

**3:45 Anti-meridian**

**England, Crimson Mansion, the Outside**

* * *

One of the few things that Corvice hated about when being with nobles is that you were obliged to have proper mannerisms, good posture, trivial knowledge about tea, and suits. It was mainly because of the suits. The human could easily act as he likes in the presence of Clark however being the presence of Clark's wife required him to act differently lest he wished to see another sunrise once more. Clark's past stories about his wife did not help either, and the state on whenever the elder vampire went to the construction site was no laughing matter. He could still remember the deep cuts on Clark's cheery face just last week.

Corvice enjoyed the bath and the architectural structure of the mansion impressed him. The mansion was similar to that of Greek design, or the architect of this household was of Greek descent that on top of every pillar, the image of the Goddess of the Moon; Artemis was present. The builder must also have been an avid fan of the goddess. Now this gave Corvice something to think about. Silver was often identified with the goddess due to the color of the moon. And this was a vampire household, so silver must hurt vampires in a way for it is considered holy and sacred. So why would vampire have objects and images of a few of the things that can hurt them?

Unless they were completely immune to what the stories say are their weaknesses.

Corvice stood before the one and only mirror a person could find within the domain of a vampire. Surprisingly enough, it was a tall mirror. The human had just finished fixing his cuffs before surveying his appearance in the mirror. Over his white long sleeved shirt was a bottle green coat made of some of the finest silk in Asia (or so Clark had said) which somehow managed to complement the auburn trousers he had on his lower portion. His black boots were comfortable to wear seeing as they were wrought from soft leather, so no complaints there.

The only thing that was bothering his was his blasted coat. Yes it looked good on him, Corvice himself could agree with that, however he can barely rotate his arms around and that his movements were limited. Not to mention the long sleeves were tight and hot.

Sadly, it seemed like that he just had to endure it. Dawn will arrive in a few hours and he planned to return home once his meeting was done.

A loud knocking noise sounded from the door just as Corvice was about to fix his hair. Not even waiting for the human's reply, Clark's head peered in and anxiously says, "She's getting impatient, hurry up you slow turtle!"

"I'm going as fast as I can," replies Corvice for the fifteenth time (yes, the vampire has done this fourteen times already)

"Well go faster!" urges Clark a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"You're not the only one who's nervous!" hisses Corvice as a bead of sweat trickled down his cheek.

The vampire rolled his eyes before drawing his head out and shutting the door. Not a few moments later, another knock came from the door.

Irritated by the constant knocking, Corvice approaches the door with an angry expression and pulled it open, expecting to see Clark standing there to meet him. "The next time you try and annoy me, I am tossing you out of this building! Are we clear?!"

The human did not even bother to continue as he and Remilia stared into each other eye to eye, the latter having hers filled with tears.

"Um, I'm sorry!" but too late, the door slammed directly in front of the boy, hitting his nose in the process. Cursing once, the door suddenly opens once more, this time with Clark present to see what had happened.

"What did you do now?" he asks.

"_I _didn't do anything," replies Corvice in a muffled voice as he continued to clutch his nose.

"That's it, you better get going before this whole place burns to the ground," declares Clark, grabbing Corvice by his collar like that of a kitten. The boy could only groan in pain as the vampire carried him to the dining room.

* * *

The loud sound of tapping of feet echoed throughout the deserted corridor as both vampire and human made their way through it, with the latter having his arms crossed on his chest while appearing deep in thought. There were so many things that he wanted answered, such as this family's abilities, their plans, and their personal agendas. Were there more vampires with similar abilities as Clark's and Flandre? What about Remilia and this so called 'Madame Scarlet', what abilities might they possess? What sort of power do they have?

Looking back, the vampire child's power was enough to completely erase all traces of the wolf's existence during the battle. Corvice should have felt the beast's dying essence before it disappeared, yet the problem was that it did not have any left after the moment it exploded.

The human gazed at the vampire beside him from the very edge of his vision.

The truth… With knowledge alone, the elder vampire beside him can spark a war between two nations without ever breaking a sweat. To see the truth in peoples' hearts and mind, such a terrifying ability. Although this household has two war potential weapons at the palm of its hand, it has not made a single step towards what Corvice would expect of a vampire family. Vampires usually demand power and blood, going as far as to use anything to attain whatever they wanted, but this family… This family was different in a way. Could they be planning something? There must be a deeper reason as to why they have not acted yet.

"Just a few more corridors, I must apologize for placing you in a room so far from our destination," says Clark in his usual manner of speaking, casual and light hearted.

"I don't mind, it gives me enough time to admire the way that this mansion was built," replies Corvice, though it was obvious that he was half lying. The human's eyes widened at the realization, however the vampire seemed to choose to ignore the slip.

_Lying would be no use here…_ thought the human.

"You are… Curious?" asks Clark with a serene smile on his face, passing by a beautiful painting of a flower within its vase.

_Wonderful, he just read the truth again…._

"Well, 'curious' would be the cautious way to put it, rather than of something offensive such as 'suspicious'," continues Clark as he glanced at the human's face with an amused expression, "What I can tell you is that my wife will be able to answer your questions, so I suggest that you save them for later and choose the right words."

"Very well," says the human as he releases a heavy sigh from his lips before suddenly thinking of something, "The children are they fine now?"

"Oh yes, Flandre managed to escape with little more than a few shallow cuts that she could easily heal on her own thanks to your efforts. If you haven't defended her all throughout the trip then I say that I would be grieving right now for a lost daughter," replies the vampire gratefully, "Flandre and Remilia are both precious to me, if anything were to happen to them I may not forgive myself for not being there to aid them."

Clark turned his head to face Corvice before saying, "You did well tonight"

The human on the other hand did not seem to feel comfortable with the praise. This greatly puzzled the vampire.

"You have taken down four full grown werewolves all by yourself, but correct me if I'm wrong, but you feel guilty for taking their lives away even if they were intent on ending yours?"

"That's the very reason why I settled down to lead a peaceful life; I don't want to end lives. I know that those werewolves had the intent to kill me and your daughter, but what choice did I have? I had to kill them to defend myself," the boy pauses before going on, "There was no reasoning with them. I understand why they attacked us, they wanted their pride back. They wanted to prove they weren't weak, that they were worthy to return to their tribes with the life of a vampire within their hands."

"So basically you're telling me that I must understand them so that I may see your point of view," concludes Clark.

The human was silent for a few moments as they walked. He was not certain that as much as Clark was a good person so far, the vampire would probably disagree with his opinion. After short yet heavy silence the vampire begun to speak once more.

"It was inevitable and there was simply nothing you can do for them," says Clark, readjusting his glasses with gloved hand, "I find it amusing, a human like you who has lived for so long can still think that way after all that you have been through. Though I ask you to remember this, my dear friend; no matter how hard we try to do good in the world, we can never resist succumbing to evil. Sometimes evil is a must if you want to do well. But as much as possible, avoid the red path."

"I'll be honest with you, good sir. I myself have killed more lives than I should have," replies Corvice with a half-hearted chuckle, "Blood was never foreign with me these past two hundred years. Every corner of my life back then, it was always there."

"The past is a nice place to visit, though it is never the right place for one to dwell in for a long time," responds Clark, cracking a smile upon his lips, "Sometimes you just have to learn to let go. Act your age and move on."

Corvice stops on his tracks at that. _Move….On?_

* * *

"We're here," announces Clark as he and the human come to a halt before two large wooden doors made out of oak.

_Great, now we just wasted one-thousand, seven hundred twenty's worth of words just to get here…_ thought Corvice as he examines the doors with unimpressed eyes, _I could see that the door's sturdy enough to last a couple more of centuries, but I could probably have done better. Once I return back home and reward myself with some well deserved rest, I'll have to find myself some sturdier wood. Would chestnut do or willow?_

"She's in there, isn't she?" asks Corvice, freeing himself from his stream of thoughts.

"Yes, yes. Best not to stare at her too much, you wouldn't want yourself to be…..skewered," warns Clark in a nervous tone as if he has felt the sensation on a daily basis.

"I'll keep that in mind," replies Corvice, dusting off his coat for the final time. He could only hope that it will not be stained in blood an hour later.

The doors opening before him, Corvice then catches the sight of a dimly lit room with only the silver rays of moonlight providing illumination. For a dining room within a mansion it was sure a simple one. The windows were covered by four purple curtains which seemed to billow about as the cool evening air blew in. The chandeliers lay dark and cold, though the silver-like metal in which they were wrought seemed to shine as it reflected what little light it received from the moon rays.

The room was occupied by a long table, enough for four people to sit on as it rested near the windows giving the diners a good view of the wide plains outside. At the opposite a side of the table, a large painting of a happy family of four hung on the wall as it was kept within a decorated frame. There were no table wares on the table save for an elegant white cloth lying across its polished surface at the very center.

A lone woman sat at the very head of the table while sipping what looked like a cup of tea within her delicate looking fingers. Corvice simply lost his breath the moment he set his eyes upon the woman for the amount of beauty she possessed was simply beyond words. Her lush light blue hair flowed over the shoulders of her dark blue dress complimenting nicely with the faint glow of her scarlet eyes. She appeared to be a woman of royalty, about to reach her third decade though as always looks can be deceiving for her real age is still unknown and asking about it will earn Corvice a punishment worse than death or torture.

In a calm melodic tone, the woman greets the boy and gestures him to take a seat. "A pleasure to meet you at last Mr. Mason, Clark has told me a lot about you and so has Flandre"

The human's limbs were stiff in shock at being addressed by such beauty; however Corvice forced himself to remain composed and walk towards the far end of the table where he took his seat. His mind was a haze and the only thing that was clear in his vision was the woman's face.

"Don't look at her directly, keep your eyes averted," reminds Clark as he passes by Corvice's chair before coming to a halt beside his wife. Taking in the vampire's advice, the human drops his gaze to the table before him. He was under a charm and he barely recognized the sensation. Cursing himself internally, Corvice decided to imitate Clark's attitude, a smile on his face and a light toned voice.

"Likewise Madame Scarlet," says the human, completely different from his usual replies, "But I'm afraid that we have not met each other formally, no? My name is… Corvice, Corvice Samuel Mason, it is an honor to meet you Lady…?"

"Natalie," answers the woman beside Clark, "Natalie Rosella Scarlet, the last living survivor of the Tepes family"

A cold sensation spread throughout the human's arms as he heard _that_ family's name. But it seemed impossible for the whole clan was said to have perished at the fall of Vlad twenty nine years ago. This family seemed to be getting dangerous by the second. No matter, he had to remain composed. It was obvious that this woman was baiting him, trying to see how he would react with that information.

"Well that is… interesting to hear. To be in the presence of a powerful entity as yourself, milady. At least now I know where I stand," replies Corvice, choosing his words with utmost care. One wrong move and he was dead…

"You are an obedient little monkey aren't you now?" says Natalie, amused at the human's suppressed alarm, "Well, if you would ask me, I would like to request you to lighten up. Act as you normally do whenever you are around my husband. There is no need for formalities after saving my own daughter tonight."

"Really? I don't think that what I did tonight will be enough to earn me such privilege, but if you insist," says Corvice, releasing a puff of air from his nose, "Well it seems like since we're here, Lady Natalie wouldn't mind this lowly builder to ask a few questions to pass the time, hm?"

A smile curling upon her lips, Natalie responds, "very well, it seems to be more than enough as an exchange for the feat that you have done"

Clark glanced at his wife with an eyebrow raised before turning his head to face Corvice once more with an expressionless face. Natalie crossing her arms on her chest appearing interested on what the human has to say while Corvice begun his opening question.

"Now where to begin? Ah yes, this family's powers… Its origins and your future plans for it," asks the human, all traces of fear void from his voice.

"I knew you'd say that," replies Natalie with a sly smile on her face, "Why of course any normal human would think for the betterment of his own race seeing that beings that possess god-like powers are sitting just before him. But enough of that, I will entertain your questions to the best that I can."

_This woman… I don't like her…_ thought Corvice, earning him a sideways tilt of the head from the male vampire beside the female.

"You're probably wondering about my half-brother, Vlad and his disappearance twenty-nine years ago. Hmph, it seems like I already caught you attention the moment I mentioned the name 'Tepes'," resumes Natalie as a strange aura of smugness surrounded her, "It seems like you've met him, no?"

"I…seem to have provided him and his lackeys with spare metals during the Van Helsing incident," replies Corvice while averting his gaze, "But other than that, I have no other contact with him or any of his associates. The last that I've heard of him was that he was assassinated while heading back towards his make-shift camp. He was at a pathetic state from what the rumors say, though the amount of man power he possessed back then will make quite an adversary for a single assassin. Unless…"

"It seemed that you have got yourself your answer," says Natalie, "Yes, I was the assassin. Believe it or not it was for his own good."

"How so?"

"The fool was experimenting in dark magic, and Vlad was putting the entire Kingdom at risk with his foolish act. Yes, even before his third reign, he was already a vampire. As he was travelling from Oratia to Visegrád, a member of our Clan, presumably a fanatic of his cruel acts decided to awaken his bloodline once more after his cleansing during the Van Helsing incident," explains Natalie, calmly placing her words for the human to hear, "There he bided his time and waited for ten long years until he has devised a perfect plan for his comeback."

"None of these were ever recorded in general history," states Corvice, his brows joining together in confusion.

"It is because the church desired it to be kept a secret," clarifies the vampiric beauty, "It also for the sake of humans no longer needing to fear every night of monsters lurking about. By keeping a major secret such as that under a thick blanket of lies, they would be one step closer to denying the supernatural. But I digress, to put it to simpler terms, I killed Vlad before he can create further damage to our family's name, and hand his head to his very own rival. Of course the act that I had committed was frowned upon, so I left and with my fiancé Clark over here and ran off with him."

Natalie glanced over her shoulder while giving her husband a sweet smile. Clark responded by having his whole body turn rigid for a moment as he gives his wife a stiff smile on his face, relaxing only when the deceiving beauty beside him looked back at Corvice.

"It's not that simple… To kill a powerful vampire as Dracula, one would not be able to defeat him with crosses and silver alone. He or she would require possessing a great amount of strength and skill in the art of vanquishing of the Damned in order to succeed in slaying him. If Vlad has indeed experimented with magic to increase his power, then I don't see how a simple pure-blood could overpower him on a fair duel."

The sound wood breaking was heard all over the room, before a sudden cracking noise marked the appearance of a five feet tall metal spike erupting from the silk carpeted floor. The jet black spike was merely two feet away from impaling itself directly below from where Corvice was sitting. Slowly turning his head to his right, the human gazed at the spike with suppressed shock and fear.

What was this cold feeling he was feeling at the pit of his stomach?

"Natalie!" calls Clark, but the woman silences him with a raise of her hand.

"It's best you watch your tongue, human," warns Natalie in a deadly tone, "For the sake of your good deed tonight I shall spare you. But if you ever insult me or question my way of fighting, I may actually consider ending you right now."

"You took his power," declares Corvice, his tone firm and unwavering, "You drank another vampire's blood into absorbing its ability along with its soul. Vlad Tepes lives and he's inside you. Holding more than one ability is too much for a single pure-blood, so how are you maintaining your sanity until now? The requirement to hold such power would be increasing the amount of blood you consume, yet how do you keep control? Wouldn't that be much more of a question?"

"I don't," answers Natalie, sinking back into her chair.

"What?" asks Corvice in surprise.

"Vlad Tepes is no longer within me. His soul was shattered through time (not that he had any in the first place), though his power remained within me, however his essence is another thing," replies Natalie, her eyes half closed as she gazed at the smooth surface of the long table.

Corvice was not satisfied with her answer and was about to demand for more, when to his greater surprise Clark spoke in his wife's stead.

"This brings us to another matter that we wanted to discuss with you…" says Clark in a heavy voice in contrast with his usual way of speech.

Biting back a curse, Corvice then asks, "And what would that be…?"

"It is about the mansion you are building and about our daughter," continues Clark, his red eyes fixed upon the lone human before him.

"Which one? And what about the mansion?"

"The younger one. But we would like to discuss about the mansion first before that of our daughter," says Clark over Natalie's heavy silence. Now this was interesting, though it did set Corvice's mind off the matter of Natalie's answer for a moment he was not quite done with it just yet, but why would the vampires worry about both the mansion and their daughter?

"I'm all ears," replies Corvice.

"If possible, we would like you to complete at least the underground section of the mansion by the end of this winter," says Natalie, breaking her silence, "If you're wondering why, it is because we're making necessary precautions."

"This should be the part where I say 'for what?' however I think it is better for me to leave things as it is," says Corvice with a slightly disappointed gaze, "If it is really that important, you would have told me."

"But wouldn't leaving it as it is be going against your own words?" says Clark with his usual smile back on his lips, "What ever happened to 'Everything I build has a purpose' policy?"

"Dear, this is not the time for that," reprimands Natalie while rubbing her temples. Setting her hand aside, Natalie stared at the human with narrow eyes "The basement's completion will lead us to the more pressing matter at hand. It's about Flandre. A while earlier, I mentioned that Vlad's essence is no longer within me yet his power remains."

Corvice did not seem to be fond of the image that was forming within his mind.

"It took me and Clark a good fifteen years to realize," continues Natalie, "It turned out that the essence of the most notorious vampire in all of Europe was passed on to my youngest child, Flandre Scarlet. The essence of a madman lies within that girl and she is completely unaware of it, much more oblivious than knowing the full extent of her power."

"Is that the reason why she was so strong? She obliterated a full grown werewolf by just clenching her fist!"

"We thought it was impossible at first, Flandre was born a good sixteen years before I set out to kill Vlad, but for some reason we have found traces of his aura on our daughter. We then theorized that the black magic Vlad was using had a little side effect that will act as a mechanism for him to continue to exist. Proof of this is that his power is left behind and that it resides within me, but the question is that if his power is stored inside me, then what in the world could be possibly stored within that girl?"

It seemed to be too far-fetched to believe but Corvice could not help but accept the woman's words as true. To sum it all up, this family was more dangerous than he thought it would be, being somehow related to a scourge of the countryside for decades.

"So this is what you meant by that 'precaution'," says Corvice after a long pause, "Then what are you going to do about it?"

"We will do our best to keep her safe and to keep others safe from her," replies Clark, "And we were considering of one more 'precaution' to ensure her security."

"And that is?" asks Corvice, curious on how far will these two will go for their daughter.

"You… For the remainder of your services to us and until the mansion is complete, you have the choice of being Flandre's personal guardian," answers Natalie with finality in her voice. Stating it more as a command than a request, "Oh and we will double the price for your wages."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

**Year: 1505**

**Date: November 4**

**1:20 Post-meridian**

**England, the village of Carmine, the Outside**

* * *

He had to make a decision, whether he like it or not. It was a gray November afternoon in the village with a light shower falling from the sky above. The air was cool and the ground was muddy, wheels from the passing carriages occasionally splashing water at the passing people. Five scuffles have already broken out during the day. Other than that, the village was peaceful as everyone went about their normal businesses. Though the air around Corvice was filled with nothing but frustration and confusion as if he were a bomb that could go off at any moment.

The human was glad to be back in his usual attire which greatly helped him keep his cool as he forced himself to remain calm. Corvice had his back against the pure white wall near the entrance of the herald's office while he kept his gray gaze at two armored men chatting to themselves in the middle of the drizzle. A brown gloved hand reaching deep into his pant pocket, the human glances down as he draws out an envelope. Closing his eyes, he went off to think. It was now or never.

"_Mr. Mason," calls a woman's voice._

_The human's footsteps come to a halt within the empty entrance hall of the Crimson Mansion. Sighing heavily through his nose, Corvice turns around to face Natalie with a serious expression on her face. He already had enough for one night and this woman seemed to have no plan for him to rest even when she and her husband already bade him goodbye._

"_Is there anything more you'd like to tell me?" asks Corvice._

"_Yes. I know that we are asking very much from you by looking after our daughter and that gold will not be enough to repay you when you agreed to our terms," replies Natalie with the same resolute tone she has been speaking with earlier, "So if you must, it is your decision whether you will report this to the church or not."_

_The human gives her no reply, but continues to stare at her with narrowed eyes._

"_Oh, you won't? Wouldn't this be the chance for you to actually do something productive than playing with rocks?" asks Natalie with an amused expression on her face, "Just remember, it is your decision. And Clark and I have already known this from the start since we both agreed on getting a human worker for us. Fate really is hard to understand with its whims."_

"_I don't know why you people trust me to this extent, going as far as telling me to do something like that," replies Corvice, "I just don't understand why. What's the point? For what purpose? Just what are you planning to do?"_

_Natalie gave the boy a genuine smile before saying, "Fate's gears have begun to spin; someone will be waiting for you at the Plain of the White Flowers. If you truly accept your fate then you will go there"_

Corvice never really understood what Natalie said. The woman was as if she were speaking in riddles. Fate's gears…. what could they mean? And the Plain of the White Flowers, could she mean at THAT place? Villagers and travelers alike tend to avoid the area at all cost. They say that it is one of the gateways of the supernatural.

"To convey a message that will be enough to destroy a peaceful family," whispers the human to himself, voicing out his thoughts, "Or to keep a secret and risk the chance of all of Europe to be engulfed in flames. It would be my fault then…. What do I do?"

Corvice clenched his left hand tight as his right pulled the letter he made from his pocket. He began to walk across the wet mud spattered street, approaching the guards on the other side. When he was close enough to earshot, Corvice kept his mouth shut and did not set a word as he continued his way. Crushing the letter in his hands, he quickly drops on wet ground. He had made his decision.

**{GOOD GAUGE INCREASED}**

"Ah, I'm sorry, I was just passing by," apologizes the human as he felt someone collide against him. The first thing that caught his eyes was the silver cross upon the man's chest, before gazing directly at the man's face as he uttered his apology. The man of all people was a priest.

"No worries my dear friend, it was just the accident," says the brown bearded man, "May the lord guide you on your way."

"Thank you father," replies Corvice, before giving the priest a smile and heading off on his way.

The priest watched the young man walk off to the bar before kneeling down to the crumpled letter on his feet. Opening the envelope without the slightest trace of haste, the priest began to read its contents before the paper suddenly sparked with pure white electricity and vanishing from the face of the Earth.

The letter contained almost nothing but a small message.

_A family of four threatens the crown._

* * *

**Year: 1505**

**Date: November 4**

**11:40 Anti-meridian**

**England, Plain of the White Flowers, the Outside**

* * *

The sound of a bag full of items falling was merely a whisper over the wind that blew across the grasslands. Corvice stood at the summit of a small hill, giving him a good view o his surroundings which consisted of mostly nothing but hills, hill, and more hills. But what intrigued him was the small white patch he saw just below him. It seemed like that garden was his destination.

It was good idea for the human to have brought his cloak with him, however he felt like an idiot for wearing a sleeveless shirt, rendering his arms exposed all over except for a couple of gloves on his hands. The gray clouds that have parked themselves near the plains earlier this day were nowhere to be seen, which gave way to a clear starry night with the moon preparing for another cycle.

It was near winter and the human felt like he was going to catch a cold sooner or later; however there was no backing out now. Corvice had finally reached the garden which was full of white flowers, their petals flying around as the wind blew by. He was all alone, there was no other living being in sight save for a couple of dead leafless trees, though they did not seem to count as 'living' anymore.

Corvice turned around thinking someone had just whispered into his ear. More flowers met his gaze as he searched for the presence. A strong gust blew by behind him, causing more flower petals to take flight. With the petals slowly floating their way back to the soil, the human closed his eyes to focus. His ears strained to hear anything out of the usual. The wind howling once more, Corvice opened his eyes and spun right as a red blur collided with him causing him to fall flat on his back while a familiar weight was on his stomach.

"You again?" growls the human as he stares directly at two cherry red eyes above him.

"Yay, you remembered me!" giggles Flandre in glee. Corvice let out a snort before gently shoving the child vampire to his side.

"I know that I'm repeating this for quite a number of times now, but what are you doing here?" asks the human as he stood up.

"Eh? Mister still doesn't get it? Flandre was the one who brought you here!" replies Flandre, throwing her small arms into the air before falling with her back on the grass. Her leathery wings flapping playfully as the plants tickled them.

_Fate's gears have begun to spin; someone will be waiting for you at the Plain of the White Flowers. If you truly accept your fate then you will go there,_ Natalie's words echoed within Corvice's mind making him shake his head in annoyance. "That's just typical of her and I should've known this… What next, Clark dancing in a loincloth?"

"What are you muttering about, Mister?" asks Flandre.

"Uh, nothing," lies Corvice before turning his head back at the vampire, "Okay, I understand that it was you who brought me here, but allow me to ask, why? What do you want?"

Flandre rolled on the grass so that she was face down on it. She was hiding her face? Maybe the child was just feeling a bit bashful.

"I uh, Flandre may have been a bit mean to you last night and didn't even bother to thank Mister….." the girl pauses for a moment before continuing, "So, Flandre wanted to 'thank' you!"

Ten seconds came and gone before Corvice forced out a reply, "Is that all?"

Seeing the vigorous nod from the vampire caused him to sigh heavily. Yup, he should have seen this coming. With what this family he has encountered for the past few days have shown him, he could have at least expected the worst. Resting his eyes at Flandre for a moment made him think that things could have been worse. The amount of trouble this girl had caused him last night was uncountable. Just this morning he had received a letter from the northern Lycan tribes requesting his presence. And that was all before he planned to go to the herald's office that afternoon.

"I see…" went on Corvice, "Well; I don't suppose that you can keep me company for awhile now that I'm here." The human fell on the grass at Flandre's side.

"Would you like to play a game?" asks the vampire but was met with a shake of the head from the human.

"Like I said, I don't play games. How about a story?" suggests Corvice, "Tell me about your parents, yourself, your sister, anything that you want. Go on, knock yourself out, and keep me interested."

Flandre fixed her cherry red eyes on the grassy floor as she begun to think. One by one, the white flowers begun to glow like stars. Corvice stood up on instinct at the strange phenomenon around him yet Flandre remained seated to where she was. Magic? But that was….Impossible. Not since the time he has settled down in this area did the flowers suddenly…. Light up. What was the meaning of—?

"Once upon a time, there was a girl name Flandre," begins the vampire, referring to herself. When the human looked at her she just sat there, non-threatening and seemingly peaceful. "Flandre was… a bad girl and yet Mama and Papa loved her. Flandre loved them and Remi. She liked making friends and she made a lot of them when she was still little."

The girl pauses, which prompted Corvice to ask, "What happened?"

Flandre lifted her head up to face the human and stare at him with a sad expression, accompanied by a tired tone very unlike her. "Like all humans do…. They left her," she continues. The petals floating around glowing as they travelled in a swirl. The white flowers at the command of the wind. "Mama told Flandre that the humans went to sleep under ground in pretty boats. Mama told Flandre that they'll never wake up again. Flandre was so sad that Remilia couldn't even cheer her up."

'_Remilia'? And not 'Remi'?_ echoes Corvice's mind. True that the scenery around him was breathtaking, though the girl's tale caught most of his attention, detaching him from reality as she went on.

"Don't you find it sad? That you live on knowing that the people around you, your friends that you knew and lived alongside with wither up and die?" Flandre turned her gaze directly to Corvice's eyes, "You've experienced this haven't you? You understand how I feel now, don't you? Papa told me that me and Remilia were different…. Were special, yet why? Why do I feel so sad? I should be happy, right? Being immortal, being the center of attention, isn't that what all humans crave? Desire? Flandre decided to make new friends but people only looked at her weird and so she ran. She wasn't human, she didn't want attention, immortality; she just wanted someone other than Remilia and her parents to be with her…."

The clouds above part, causing the descent of moonlight rays.

"Flandre….is a very good actress, right Mister?" she laughs in a bland tone.

The human sighed heavily before crossing his arms as he replies, "Well then, I do bid you good luck on finding that person."

Something inside the girl has shattered. Her face white with shock at the young man's answer. This, she did not expect. Papa told her that this person, the very same human that saved her, could help her somehow to interact, to meet new people. Her father told her that this person could be trusted and yet even after her story was told he seemed so….disinterested.

As Flandre's heart sank lower and lower, Corvice knelt down to pick up and examine a glowing flower before saying, "You know what? You're a very strong girl, setting your supernatural ability aside. Despite all of the things this cold ball of a world we have has thrown at you, you endured, which is good since it's the first step to being immortal. But I would like you to think back, have you ever made those friends of your happy to their dying day?"

Flandre seemed to have lost her voice and only replied with a nod.

"Then there's no need to worry, sheesh," says Corvice with one eye open as he lifts his head up, "What's important is that, well, you lived with them, played a role in their lives. They were your friends and you helped shape them as a person. True that their gone, dead, kicked the bucket, and yet (damn how many times has this line been repeated?) their memories remain. You're still here in this world, right? So that means that you have the chance to be part of the lives of a thousand. Meeting people after people is tiring, that fact I could give you, but as long as you remember and reflect back on the things that you've done before, you'll somehow manage ehehe. Lives may disappear and wink out of existence, yet their memories, the memories that they left behind will remain, aye?"

Silence crept across the garden as the glowing flowers sway while their petals fluttered about. It was only then Flandre's childish giggle that broke the quiet atmosphere. Good, seeing the girl rant about like a world weary adult left a bad taste in Corvice's mouth. Maybe telling someone that story of hers did help her lighten up. Corvice was not exactly good with children from the start, but somehow interacting with this girl sitting on the grass has unlocked a good part in him.

_Those two…They planned this haven't they? Well, all I can say it's working…._

Truth, fate, and the past…. What could it all mean? Has he finally fallen into the vampires' play? Moving on…Should he really forget about his maker and proceed?

A memory flashed before him showing the silhouettes of the two women that cursed him. Gritting his teeth for a few seconds, he decided to let it pass. No, he will never forget them, and he will make sure of that. For now, he will just tuck them away in the shelves of his mind, waiting to be rediscovered until his task was done. Maybe, if he did help this girl, he will finally learn something he has not for the past centuries. Well it is a '_maybe_' so anything is possible.

"Get up," he says while offering Flandre his hand. The vampire stood yet the human did not let go, instead he proceeded to shake it with a smile on his face. "Let me try this again, hi there! My name is Corvice Samuel Mason, builder hired by the Scarlets and your temporary guardian! Nice to meet you!"

Flandre's eyes widened, apparently taken aback by the gesture yet returned the gesture anyway, "I'm Flandre Scarlet! We're going to be the best of friends!"

The human could not help but produce a sweat drop at that. _Why did I feel a sense of wrongness there? Did she just declare something I didn't agree to?_

"R-right!" chuckles Corvice nervously, still shaking the vampire's hand however she seems to have no intention of letting go. _Being a vampire's nanny while still being one-hundred percent human, sure why not?_

It is truly hopeless for _this_ human. Clueless of the happenings at that very moment, he has no idea how many threads have latched themselves to his….

The scene slowly turns to static, leaving behind the burning image of two newly made friends bathed in the moonlight as strange glowing flowers surrounded them.

* * *

**Year: 2005 (The Present)**

**Date: July 28**

**11:20 Anti-meridian**

**The Cliff's of the Oni, Gensokyo**

* * *

It was cold… Yet it did not matter, his gloves and coat took care of that matter for him. The skies were gray; perhaps they wished to witness his homecoming. Standing tall just above the cliff face, Rook's gaze remained fixed upon the lake. Remilia could not help but starting an incident the moment she arrives, does she? At the very pit of his heart, Rook felt happiness. He almost thought that Yukari forgot her end of the deal. His powers have not yet returned, yet it was enough, enough for another assault.

Gensokyo…. He was back in his new home and his old home just lay before him in the middle of the lake. His gloved right hand sparked sapphire blue electricity for a moment, the human gives the land before him a wide smile.

"**I'm back~"**

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: Yes, I'm grounded but that doesn't freaking mean I'm not gonna write this damned story! NO, I"m finishing this! I really hped you guys enjoyed this because this is the final memory chapter for now! WOOT! WE'RE BACK IN THE PRESENT BABY!_

_Damn adrenaline's kicking in. R&R REVIEW PEOPLE! EEN IF YOU'RE AN ANON, I KNOW YOU'RE READING THIS!_


	16. Chapter 9: The Scarlet Mist And Cirno

**Disclaimer: I do not own touhou or any other touhou materials, The OCs are mine though, take them and I write your name on my death note**

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**} {Normal} {**_Hard_**} {**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**CHAPTER 9: The Scarlet Mist...And Cirno**

**{30 days Earlier…..}**

* * *

The clock was ticking. It was almost time. The open windows caused the velvet curtains to rise and fall as the cool summer breeze found its way into the bedroom. Illuminated by faint moonlight, a girl sat alone in the room staring at her tea with a bored expression. The rays of the moon provided little light to the dim room as they went past the semi-transparent curtains. A large four poster bed sat at the middle of the room, grand enough for a queen.

Right beside the bed was antique study table with a lone photograph standing on top along with an oil lamp. The girl had her head resting on her palm as she gazed at an oil painting hanging on her wall. It held an image of her and her sister, smiling happily without a care in the world. She remembered the time when her father had painted that portrait as a gift to them both. If only she had the power to relive the past and not see the pathetic future; she would pay anything for it.

Resting her back against her chair, the girl shifted her position so that her black wings were more comfortable. The soft white linen felt nice on the girl's hand. A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. Today was the big day after all, she should be excited. Finally finding a way to escape the church for good, she should be happy. And yet . . . . Why did she feel something was going to go wrong? Those visions she had been seeing in her dreams have been troubling her for the past two weeks, rendering it impossible for her to get a good night's sleep.

The girl turned her gaze to the side so that she can have a better look at her bedroom. At the dim light, the walls appeared to be blue when in reality they were deep scarlet. The girl had a strange affinity for the color; so much so that she went out of her way to have the walls of her very mansion and carpet to be dyed in deep red. Even her accessories were of the same color as her eyes.

The clock tower struck twelve. The girl took it as a cue to rise from her seat and walk towards an old wardrobe in her nightdress.

Opening the wardrobe and taking out her favourite dress, the girl began to change. There was no need to call for her maid to assist her; tonight was going to be a good night, after all. Buttoning her clothes and donning her mop cap, the girl exited her bedroom with a smirk on her face.

Her wings slowly fluttering at her back, the girl was just finishing adjusting her long silk gloves before a loud ominous sound was heard. Not even bothering to investigate what caused the noise, the girl passed by a large window which showed her the scene of a large white light circling around her mansion's perimeter.

From above said mansion, a giant magic circle was being formed around it. As seen from the moon's surface, the circle appeared to be a miniature satellite, a small star shining upon the Earth's crust.

The sound became louder and louder until it was deafening, and yet the girl remained unfazed and continued her leisurely stroll around her home. Ancient paintings of her ancestry hung wall to wall and the well-lit golden chandeliers above caused a bit of pride to spark within the girl's heart. Her decorating skills were impressive, that she could state as a fact.

Then silence . . . . From the outside, nothing was left of the mansion but a large crater upon the land, the glow from the recent event disappeared as if it hadn't even been there.

Her light footsteps echoing along the hallway, the girl finished one more turn before coming across a neat line of maids, all with their heads low in respect for the mistress of the household.

"Good evening, Lady Remilia," they all said as one. Remilia raised one elegant gloved hand and all of the maids rose from the position. Smiling cruelly, the girl went to approach the door leading to her "favorite spot".

Two maids dutifully opened the door to a magnificently made throne room. The floor covered by a long red carpet, more maids stood with their head bowed politely at the sides as the mistress passed by. Remilia turned her gaze once more to her left and looked through the windows. She saw that the landscape outside had changed, meaning that the Unmoving Library had accomplished her task.

She saw of mountains in the east, while at the same time she noticed the clear reflection of water. Not a bad place to stay, as she valued her privacy greatly and was not particularly fond of intruders. Even if it was in the middle of the lake.

Smiling, Remilia came to halt before her Chief Maid, a long-time servant now in her late teens.

"Milady," greeted Sakuya with a curtsy before offering her hand to her mistress.

"Sakuya ..." Remilia replied, allowing her maid to escort her to her seat. The vampire faced the maid-filled hall once more before taking her seat on her crimson throne. She was eager to see what this new land had to offer. Glancing from her left to her right, Remilia placed her elbow on her throne's arm and proceeded to rest her head on her fist once more.

"Let this world recognize the might of this household," began Remilia, her eyes alive with cruel mirth, "Shall we show them what we are made of, Sakuya? Show them that if they dare stand in our way, they will receive a quick death?"

"Of course Milady, the mansion will stand proud and tall over the people of this land," replied the maid, her tone emotionless yet firm and strong.

"Well then," Remilia raised her head a bit while gazing at her maid with one eye. She then ordered in a loud commanding voice, "**Open the Doors of Scarlet, release the mist and all shall remember and know the might of the Scarlet Devil Mansion!"**

Outside the mansion, the wooden doors opened with a bang. A red ominous mist pouring from the inside, slowly spreading across the grounds and into the forest. The Gate Guard opened the gate with a kick, allowing those who dare enter the lair of the Devil. The Scarlet Devil.

The border land is now wrapped in Scarlet Magic. Do you believe that you can solve this mystery?

* * *

**Year: 2005 {The Present}**

**4:56 Post-meridian**

**Mushroom Trail, on the way to the Human Village, Gensokyo**

* * *

The sky was dark and the sun was nowhere in sight. The young man on the path guessed that it was hidden above the clouds. Without any heat from the sun the temperature on the ground was cool yet not that cold. The human's gray eyes rested upon a wilting snapdragon at the side of the road. Kneeling down, he carefully examined the flower before letting it go. He began to continue down the path to the human village.

The plants need sun to survive; without it they die. A simple knowledge taken from an elementary textbook, yet the result of it is worse than bad, thought the human as he passed by a field. Stopping in his tracks he turned his gaze at rice field at his side. It seemed like the harvest had gone bad and judging from the lone farmer's frustration, the entire field was dead due to the lack of nutrients. If things got worse, then there would be a food shortage within the next few months.

It was bad enough with this mist acting as a veil over at the surroundings; it just had to cause an untimely famine in the village. The human had to squint his eyes to see through the mist, which proved to be very troublesome. It had been thirty days already and it still hadn't dissipated.

The human heard footsteps pass by him and noticed that they belonged to a young boy. The boy ran past and waved his. Before the human could even say something, the boy had already gone.

_Must be a villager. Then that means I'm getting close_, he thought to himself before setting off once more. This mist, if one would only look at it hard enough, he or she would be able to notice the faint red color that it possessed. Whatever was happening, he could not let it get worse than it already is.

The human came to a halt once. He was at the entrance to the Human Village. Two armed guards stood at attention at the village's entrance, making sure that no youkai of any sort wandered in. It seemed like the village was on full alert because of the incident. Of course, even a fool would notice the odd weather lately and will immediately know that a youkai was responsible for it.

The human watched the boy enter the village without the guards even noticing him. He was about to follow the child when the guards suddenly entered a defensive stance at his appearance.

"State your name and purpose!" ordered the second as he drew a katana from its sheathe.

The human only stared at them with his gray eyes. It was only then after a few seconds did he take a step forward, causing the guards to flinch and tighten their guard. To their surprise, the human did not attack but merely stood there while...smiling?

"Heh, I cut my hair and disappeared for five years, and you already don't recognize me," said the human with an amused expression, causing the two guards to glance at each other for a moment, "Very well, I suppose I can re-introduce myself. My name is Rook, I'm a friend of Ms. Kamishirasawa of the school here."

The guards jumped at the sound of his name. Clearly they had not recognized the human's appearance due to his new looks. They both proceeded to lower their weapons and perform a respectful bow despite looking older than him.

"We didn't recognize you, Rook-sama. It has been too long," apologized the first guard while still dipping his head low.

Rook cracked a small smile at that and said, "No need for the –sama, just Rook is fine."

"We apologize once more; we must remain vigilant in the face of an incident. There is also no telling if you're a youkai disguised as a person who has not been seen for a long while," said the second guard with a hint of suspicion in his tone.

"I understand Hiroshi-san. There's nothing wrong with being alert especially now, though I can say that I still remember that time when you asked me about how you were going to confess to your wife. How long has it been? Twelve years?" asked Rook as he enjoyed the flustered expression the guard made.

Chuckling at his companion's reaction, the first guard then asked, "You haven't changed a bit. Still the same as my grandfather says, but if I may ask, where did you disappear off to? The villagers were all wondering where you went. And to reappear during the first incident in a long time, it certainly looks to be more than just a coincidence, aye?"

"Let's just say that I took a long vacation," said Rook, "Ah, now that the small talk is over, may I pass now? I'm afraid that I have business to attend to with Ms. Kamishirasawa."

"Very well," said the second guard drawing back his weapon to let the human pass.

Rook said his goodbyes and was just entering the village when the first guard called to him, "If you have time, stop by the Black Cat and catch a few drinks! You appear to have a few new stories for us!"

Turning one last time to the guards, Rook waved a hand in indication that he heard them. After a few seconds, he faces the foggy village and begins walking once more in search of the child he saw earlier. All he can say is that the place hasn't changed that much in his absence. The same stalls, shops, houses, and buildings stood within the village. The same familiar Japanese feudal era designs that Rook could never help but to love. This was home, his second home. The only thing that disturbed him was the lack of people, the strange absence of the bustling shoppers and loud voices of the vendors at the market. Usually at this time of day the streets would be filled with people. Did it have anything to do with this fog?

Rook could sense the presence of people within their shops, so it was highly unlikely that most of them are hiding in their cellars during an incident. Some shopkeepers were too stubborn to let a day pass without selling something. Rook lifted his head to gaze at the gray skies. It's been days and Reimu still hasn't solved this yet? The miko was always a lazy girl, but whenever an incident decides to show its ugly face, she's always raring to go. But now . . Rook could not help but feel a bit worried.

He knew the capabilities of the people within the mansion and he also had faith in Reimu's abilities. Yet all the same, why did he feel a bit worried?

A tug on the back of his coat brought him back to reality. Rook noticed the boy from earlier gesturing for him to follow before running towards what looked like an antique store. The human slowly heads towards the same place without question. A bell rings at the far end of the store as Rook enters. He finds the boy staring at a wooden horse with a big smile.

"How may I help you?" greeted the shopkeeper, an elderly woman in a green kimono. "Ah Rook-san, it's been too long!"

"Akane-san! How are you?" asked Rook, extending his hand in a formal western greeting.

The old woman cheerfully accepted the handshake and replied, "Doing fine, old friend."

"Heh, you still act the same," said Rook before releasing her hand. The old woman, however, gave no notice at the boy gawking at the toy just above the old shelf behind Akane.

"To disappear suddenly like that, you really had all of us worried," said Akane while wiping her dusty counter with an old rag, "but then again, it is you we are talking about. The Strange Human that Comes and Goes. When you interact with the people of this generation, all of the stories about you being an urban legend will disappear."

The old lady sets aside her rag below her counter before continuing, "So, if I may ask, where did you run off to this time."

"The same place I always go whenever I need a time off," replied Rook, "The Outside's really changed and this place hasn't."

"Oh? So you prefer that world over this one? I can't blame you for choosing a world without the Yakumos watching your every step," said Akane with a laugh. Wiping the counter once more with a sweep, the old woman then asks, "So what can I help you with today?"

Rook glanced to his side as he felt another tug on his right sleeve. He saw the boy pointing at the wooden horse with his free hand while smiling. Rook released a light sigh before saying, "I think I'll take that horse. How much is it?"

"Well seeing as you have your own currency, a coin will do," replied Akane as she went to get the horse. Rook paid the old woman before saying goodbye as he went out. Stopping just outside the shop, Rook knelt down and presented the horse to the boy who was eager to have it.

Brushing the boy's hair once, Rook spoke, "Here, take it . . . ."

With the toy horse in his hands, the boy gave the human a respectful bow before he began to glow. "Rest in peace. Thank you for guiding me in homecoming," finished Rook as the spirit nodded and disappeared in a slight burst of lights. Sighing once more, Rook turned to face the presence that was behind him.

"Going for a walk, Keine-sensei?" he asked.

A woman dressed in a dark blue dress with short white sleeves gave Rook a startled look before turning it into a smile. Her outfit was completely different from the last time Rook saw her. A red ribbon tied at the base of her collar and a strange building like hat atop of her head were the most obvious differences. Her dark brown eyes still had that warm twinkle within them; it was as if she hadn't aged at all. She was a half-youkai, though so that could very well be true, as her aging process was a lot slower than a normal human's. Nevertheless, this was the same Keine that Rook met years ago.

"Rook-san, I almost didn't recognize you there," said Keine before bowing, a traditional Japanese greeting, "How are you these days? You haven't sent us a letter or anything in quite some time now."

"Yeah, well I had a few things to do," replied Rook while placing his hands in his coat pockets. A loud smack echoed throughout the ghost town like village, and Rook was immediately kneeling on the floor, clutching his head. Keine was already walking away, saying, "There's a tea shop just around the corner, and you can explain yourself there."

Groaning in pain, the human could only say, "Y-yes, ma'am" before collapsing.

* * *

"So how's the school been progressing?"

"At a steady pace; those children that you helped build the plumbing with have graduated."

"So where are they now?"

"Well most of them are working in the village; the more adventurous idiots went to Kotohime's training center."

"That crazy woman is still active? Well whatever, those idiots would probably feel hell anytime soon. That cop/princess is like a bag of nuts."

"As much as I respect Kotohime, I have to agree. She is sometimes... odd."

"Village protectors of the same feather..."

"So you're telling me I'm odd!?"

"No, you're weird. Who else would turn into a rampaging horned beast that wants to head butt anyone within fifty feet?"

"Would you like me to give you a taste of that now?"

A sigh emanated from the half closed tea shop. A single humble table was taken out from within along with two wooden chairs at Keine's request. Do people really like her that much or does she have a lot of influence in the village? Either way Rook didn't care, and just sat there drinking his tea. As Keine was arranging the papers she brought, Rook let his gaze rest upon a mirror reflecting his appearance. What used to be long shaggy blonde hair was now cut short, leaving his ears exposed and the few strands hanging at the back of his neck. A single long fringe made its way across his face, which prompted him to blow it away at times when it got in his way. His eyes were the same nimbus gray.

His old metal plated brown gloves were replaced by gray ones with the same symbols of Yin and Yang at both left and right. The gloves were fingerless, leaving Rook's fingers numb at times due to the cold. His old combat boots were replaced by normal boots of an unknown hide, though they were surprisingly warm and comfortable. Around his waist, a white belt bag and a gun holster which housed the tranquilizer gun he received from the Border Youkai. The belt bag complimented his pants which hung loosely, ending near the ankle. A knife was tied to a strap within his coat, resting on his dark blue shirt.

And finally, his old travelling cloak was now replaced by a simple brown coat. Rook stared at his reflection and queried himself on how many times he has changed his appearance over the course of the years. Despite his youthful appearance, it didn't make him feel any younger.

Rook's attention was turned to the young woman who was now refilling his and Keine's teacup before leaving for the back room.

Keine arranged the last bit of her papers before setting them down aside the table with a loud thud. "It isn't like you to come here just for small talk, Rook. The only times you come here to the village you either frolic around the shops or come to see me. I sense that it has something to do with the latter because of this incident, no?"

"I couldn't say that you're wrong," said Rook with an eyebrow raised, looking bored.

This time, it was Keine's turn to release a heavy sigh, "Fine, what do you want to know? And I won't even ask about your five year excursion in the Outside World."

"Are there any casualties because of the incident yet? Anyone injured, or any strange happenings?" replied Rook, sitting up straight.

"Not that I know of. The village chief has already decided to launch patrols of six around the village, night and day," said Keine, "Ever since the mist erupted out of nowhere, the chief has already set the entire village on high alert. Because of that my classes had to be put to a stop so I can help with the security."

"And none of the youkai ever thought of raiding the village, eh?" said Rook while taking a sip of his tea.

"Yes, it seems like they're letting the mist do its job, if it has any."

"There's nothing wrong with the mist, it's just any normal kind if mist. There's nothing magical about in the first place," Rook explained, looking particularly calm about it. Keine knitted her eyebrows, skeptical of what the human had just said.

"How do you know?" asked Keine.

"I'm familiar with the culprit," said Rook, his voice lacking any color, "Anything new with Youkai activities? Did they increase any after the incident began?"

"Actually, yes," replied Keine, dismissing the question that has formed within her mind. If Rook knew the culprit, then he may know how to deal with them. He may be able to solve this incident faster than the Shrine Maiden. "Due to the lack of sunlight, the plant youkai have run amok at the heart of the Forest of Magic; though they pose no threat to the village, humans living within the area must be cautious. If possible, we told the villagers to avoid the area completely. The only times we've heard anything from the youkai these past five years was at the start of this incident. Without the sun, nocturnal youkai are now walking during the day and they also seem to grow more powerful by night. A few nights ago during the full moon, I felt the night empowering me."

"So almost none of the villagers are allowed outside without an armed escort," inferred the human, thinking hard, "If that's the case, then you guys must be having a hard time getting supplies from the neighbouring villages. I saw it for myself: because of the lack of sun, the plants are starting to wither and die."

"Not to mention that youkai are more aggressive, though not as aggressive as they were the last time you visited," said Keine. She released a deep sigh which caused Rook to glance at her. The woman must be having a lot more problems than she's letting on.

"So, how do you know the culprit?" asked Keine, seeing this as a chance to sate her curiosity, "Are you even sure that you do know?"

"Positive," replied Rook, finishing his cup of tea, "I used to babysit that person. Things must be pretty bad on their side if they finished their end of the deal."

"Deal? What deal?"

Rook turned his head to look at Keine and smiled, "Ah, nothing. Just personal matters that I have to tidy up."

"I see. I suppose that you're going now? To wherever you're going?" guessed Keine.

"I think so. I've asked around the surrounding areas for some answers and I found out that the parts where the mist is thickest will probably be where the source is located," said Rook, rising from his seat as he got ready, "I questioned various youkai that were sensible enough to hold a conversation about what they knew. So far they've all pointed to the Misty Lake. A fitting area for the source of all this fog."

Keine nodded in agreement, "I thought so. There were large amounts of power focused in that area a few weeks back. Rook, you have to be careful, remember what you said to Akyuu five years back? About how the youkai are attracted to large amounts of energy? It turned out that you were right. Though youkai do gather in some areas filled with energy, it's only one species that is most abundant in the area. As a result, you'll pretty much encounter the same type of youkai while heading there, minus the fairies."

"I see, anything else you have to tell me?"

"Yes, head towards the lake shore and start your investigation there. There's a youkai rumored to know what's going at the heart of the incident itself. You should watch out for a floating black ball if I were you," replied Keine while searching for something in her bag. Taking out several vials of what looked like water with a greenish hue, then handing them to Rook while saying, "Earth's Blood. The same healing waters that helped you and caused a lot of trouble in the village. Save them for when you're really hurt, don't rely too much on that healing magic of yours because I've already recorded that it's faulty."

Rook studied the vials for a moment before stuffing them in his belt bag. "Thanks, I appreciate the help."

"Go and good luck. Try not to die since you just got back. You may want to speak with Lady Hieda once this is all over," said Keine with a warm smile.

"Will do," replied Rook before nodding to her one last time and heading towards one of the village exits.

Keine's smile slowly transforms into a mix of worriment and irritation. It seems like she felt as if she had just sent the human to his death sentence. Hopefully Rook will manage to survive, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that bad things were to happen without him.

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**5:15 Post-meridian**

**Tall Grass Path, Gensokyo**

* * *

_**BANG!**_

_**BANG!**_

_**BANG!**_

The sounds of gunshots echoed deep within an unnamed forest followed by a loud ear-splitting shriek. Rook dove to his right just as the bat youkai released its familiar, yet painful scream, enough to make the hair at the back of Rook's neck to stand. Gritting his teeth and summoning his willpower to ignore the ringing in his ears, Rook burst from the bush that he was hiding in while firing three more shots at the youkai. Green darts hit their target and the youkai falls to the ground unconscious.

Rook turns to his right to face another youkai headed his way. Aiming down the sight of the gun and pulling the trigger, the human only needed one shot to knock this threat out. A satisfying thud was heard as Rook watched the youkai fall before his boots. Realizing that he has spent all of his ammo, Rook made quick work when replacing his used magazine with a new one before pulling the slide, making the pistol utter a click.

Once he has reloaded his weapon, the human spun to his left to meet his new opponents. The pistol barked twice and the two bat youkais fell to the ground, asleep due to the sleep inducing drug the darts contained.

The human tried to catch his breath before saying, "My aim's far better than last time."

Rook closed his eyes for a second to calm his nerves before opening them again to study his fallen opponents. Most youkai in Gensokyo can attain human appearances once they've reached a certain aged. It was no surprise to the human that these goons were no different. They appeared to be human at first sight but upon further inspection, Rook identified the large bat like ears on their heads, their lack of hair causing them to look balding, ridiculously long canines, and a flat flesh-like nose. They also appeared to have thick eyebrows and peasants clothes. The clothes were cut at the back to make room for their large leathery wings, which they used for flight.

"One type of youkai for each area," muttered Rook as he stood up, covering his nose at the scent of the youkai's rotten breath, "Minus the fairies, yeah right….."

Placing his gun back in its holster, Rook figured that the darts will have the youkais asleep for about a week. It wasn't his problem if they starved, but at least they were alive. Turning his back to the sleeping beasts, Rook proceeded to enter the deeper parts of the forest, hoping to reach the other side where the lakeshore was located.

Twenty minutes passed without incident, giving Rook enough time to think. If the mansion was indeed located somewhere on the lake, then how will he get there? Flying was out of the question for he could not lift himself from the ground using magic. Just as well, he knew no spells to aid him in air travel. Turning to mist and wait for a breeze to blow in the right direction would be pointless and troublesome at the same time. There had to be some other way. Maybe he could ask someone for help, but who? Fairies? They're not smart enough or strong enough to help him anyway. The bat youkai? After what he did, he doubted that he'd get their cooperation. Besides, they were beasts; they were driven by their instincts to begin with.

A familiar humming caught Rook's attention, causing him to turn to the source of the sound. He spotted a small black orb of darkness floating peacefully among the trees, nearly hitting them. Rook stared at it for a few seconds before pointing a palm filled with blue electricity at it and releasing a lightning bolt faster than a bullet.

The bolt hit its mark which elicited a "Kyaaaaa~!" and a thud soon followed by the sounds of groaning. Rook calmly shoved aside any plant that got in his way as he walked towards the place where the black orb just crashed. In the area where the orb should have been, sat a blonde girl in a black vest and skirt.

"Rumia," said Rook in a monotone voice giving him a glare from the girl.

"Bloody hell, mate! What in the name of all the seven hells was that for?!" shouted the girl named Rumia, absolutely furious at the moment, "Goodness gracious, my mouth tastes like metal! Do you fancy greeting people with a shock and a bullet to the head?"

Rook raised an eyebrow at that one, "Do you . . still recognize me?"

"Perhaps . . . ." Rumia looked into the distance as if thinking very hard, "You do seem familiar, ah yes. YOU WERE THAT BLOKE THAT LOBBED LIGHTNING BOLTS AT ME WHENEVER I GOT SPOTTED! THAT JOLLY OLD CHAP THAT LODGED A BULLET IN MY HEAD FIVE YEARS AGO!"

"Well that's good," commented Rook as Rumia continued to stamp her feet in frustration, letting off her steam. Rook seemed to remain unfazed and was somehow mildly impressed on how colorful this little girl's language could get when irritated. Rumia of the Evening Shade, a youkai that can manipulate the darkness. She's a man-eater despite her harmless appearance; Rook caught her in the act of devouring human corpses near the Road of Reconsideration and the Road of Liminality. Before Rook could even get to a distressed outsider who was foolish enough to cross the border, Rumia had already caught them and was already eating them.

The first time he caught Rumia in the act, he threw everything he had at her, almost taking her life. But just as he was about to finish her off for good, she used her powers of darkness to escape. The second time they met was when she was chasing a poor soul through the forest of magic. Rook saved the outsider and had Rumia by her neck that time. It turned out that he was far stronger than her and she was forced to escape once more.

Their following meetings were... strange. At times when Rook was going for a stroll, Rumia would attack him out of nowhere only for her ambush to backfire on her. As time passed, Rumia proposed a kind of game. A game between Hunter and the Rescuer. She explained that she was a youkai and she needed to eat. She also explained that it was a youkai's job to hunt humans and that she wasn't doing anything wrong. By playing this game, Rook would have to give her a fighting chance against him whenever an outsider wanders across Rumia's territory. It's up to Rook to find and protect the outsider before Rumia could get to them. Once he does, Rumia has no choice but to find another meal without further struggle.

Rumia had just finished her last swear before saying, "What does a weirdo like you want with me? Do you enjoy bullying weaker youkai just because you're a strong human?"

"I need your help, and no, I just felt like hitting you for all of the people you ate," answered Rook in the same monotone voice.

"_You_? In need of _my _help? That doesn't sound convincing, old bean," said Rumia with a childish smile, though the malice in her voice was very obvious.

"It concerns this incident that has spread throughout Gensokyo. A friend told me that you knew something about the location of the source since you've been there," said Rook, his gray eyes meeting with Rumia's red ones.

The youkai smiled her sweet smile and said, "Very well, perhaps I can tell an old bloke like you after a bite," before edging closer to Rook's hand. Surprisingly, Rook allows her sharp, pearly white teeth to settle on his glove before channelling a house's worth of electricity into said hand. Rumia shook and jabbered as her teeth came in contact with the raw energy, causing a few strands of her hair to stand up.

Falling to the ground while rubbing her head, Rumia snapped at Rook, "Will you stop doing that?! It does not feel nice!"

"Your fault for biting the bait," said Rook in a cruel tone.

Rumia glared at him for a few seconds before saying, "Fine, I'll take you to my favourite spot. There you can see the place clearly. It's a long way from here and is really high up, are you sure you can handle it?"

"Of course," was Rook's only reply.

And so the two of them, human and youkai, began their journey from the forest to an elevated land west of the lake, from what Rook has judged. The scent of the trees and that of the damp ground beneath his feet felt oddly refreshing. His strength did not diminish as he and Rumia reached an area known to some as the Cliffs of the Oni. The place acted as a landmark for some great battle, but that was a story for another time. Rook surveyed the strikingly familiar mansion sitting atop of a patch of land from afar and found that there was no bridge of some sort that could help him get to it. Gazing at the mansion one last time, Rook returned to Rumia who was busy staring at nowhere in particular before noticing him.

"I assume that you found your problem, old bean?" asked Rumia while taking an odd interest in her nails.

"Yeah, do you know anyone that can help me cross? You're a youkai so basically you must have enough friends to help you with your lunch," said Rook while placing his left hand in his coat pocket, "I'm gonna need a lot more help than what I originally imagined."

Rumia flashed him her pearly white teeth in a smirk before saying, "Is that so~? I knew you'd say that, and I happen to know the perfect person for the job."

"Who?"

Rumia giggled like a little girl as she said in the same childish tone with poorly hidden malice, "Just follow me~"

* * *

A lone fairy was carrying a large bouquet of flowers in her arms while she seemed to be searching for something... Or someone. The fairy sighed as she watched a few of her kin play tag in the outskirts of the forest, near the lake's edge. She then found herself floating above the lake, staring at her reflection at the lake's crystal clear waters. What she saw was a girl with short forest green hair and a youthful face that had two brilliant blue eyes.

She slowly lifts her gaze towards the source of the dense fog as a light breeze blew by, causing her blue dress to flutter around. Daiyousei yelped and tried to push her dress down before anyone saw. Unfortunately, two fairies playing nearby were watching. Daiyousei's face suddenly grew warm as the fairies flew away, snickering. If her only friend were here to witness what had just happened, then it would be the end of her. The embarrassment was enough to kill her.

Unlike the other fairies she was a head taller, so every single one of them, even her friend, called her elder or senior. It didn't mean that she disliked it, in fact she somehow enjoyed being looked up to. Being a role model on how to be a proper fairy meant the others will follow her actions.

Daiyousei sighed while fluttering her golden wings.

It seemed like she was all alone on the lake now, so why did she feel an ominous feeling creeping through her skin?

"Dai-chan~" called a voice, making Daiyousei turn to the source as she heard her name. She was relieved that it was only Rumia, though it didn't last long as she saw another person with her, making the fairy cautious. From the looks of it, the person appeared to be a male in his late teens. He had a confused look on his face the moment he saw Daiyousei. She figured that he was no threat since he didn't look hostile.

"Rumia? What are you-?" started the fairy, but was cut off the moment Rumia had her arms outstretched on either side of her. Faster than the eye can see, a great sized skull formed from the smoke that was coming out of Rumia's back and swallowed Daiyousei whole, trapping her within.

Rook acted by instinct at the sight and drew his gun, pointing at Rumia's head, "What the heck are you doing?"

"Baiting her out!" answered Rumia as she manipulated the skull, making it thrash around, causing Daiyousei to tumble within it. Rook couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"What the hell are you talking about?! Get her out of there or else I'll shoot!" warned Rook, lifting his gun menacingly.

Apparently Rumia wasn't listening, "Now all I have to do is this~." Suddenly, the skull's mouth opened giving Daiyousei the chance to scream out loud at the top of her voice.

"CIRNO HELP ME!"

Rook stared in shock while Rumia continued to grin. Suddenly, the Darkness Youkai spun to face Rook and gave him a wink before disappearing in the form of a liquid shadow that zipped into nowhere. Daiyousei was left trapped within the sound proofed skull while crying. That little sneak. Rook ran towards the black skull and examined it for a bit. It turned out that it had no air holes, so that sound and air cannot pass through. The fairy has no oxygen and will certainly be running out sooner or later.

Rook pounded at the skull once and found out that it was harder than a rock. Blasting it with a bolt could get the fairy caught in the blast. Shooting it would be useless. Unless he wanted to free her, he had to find Rumia and wring her neck for this. Did the air suddenly become cold?

Rook jerked to his right to avoid an icicle hitting the place where is head should have been. Drawing his gun, Rook glared at the culprit. His eyes widened at the appearance of a girl with six prisms like wings behind her. Another fairy, though it seemed like this one was different from the others. The fairy wasted no time talking and immediately performed a dive bomb. Rook had to dodge to prevent himself from getting hit.

The fairy had the same youthful face of a child like the other fairies, and the same blue dress as Daiyousei within the skull. Her short cerulean blue hair was tied by a large green ribbon at the back of her head as she glowered at the human with light blue eyes. She pointed a finger at Rook before saying, "You! Fight me and leave Dai-chan alone! I can't let you hurt her!"

Rook lowered his gun and held both of his hands up high, "Look, this isn't my fault and I'm not responsible for your friend's problem but I'll help if I can. Please there' no need for—"

"Stop your prattling!" cut off the fairy, "You will fight me because you're not going to get away with this!"

Rook bit back a curse. He can tell that she was no normal fairy. At least he hasn't heard of fairy becoming one with ice. She can be strong, she can be weak, and either way Rook didn't want to underestimate her for it would prove fatal. This one seemed to be one of the hard-headed bunches, great; there was no reasoning with this one other than beating some sense into her. Rumia probably planned this to get himself killed and eat his corpse after. Or maybe this _was_ the person he was looking for, he couldn't really tell.

Rook's eyes widened when the fairy started drawing out a spellcard. A fairy with a spellcard? Now he knew that she wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly. Instead of retreating, a smile began to creep across his lips.

A sigh escapes him as he slumps his arms in defeat. "Fine, I'll fight you," said Rook with his gaze at the battle ready ice fairy, "Though we play by my rules."

The ice fairy tenses, an expected reaction. "Your rules? That's not fair!" cried the fairy, ready to activate her spellcard.

"Nope, it isn't fair at all. You can still use Danmaku if you want. It's not like it's different from using spellcards anyway," explained Rook as calmly as he could, "Are you interested in the Pacifist Mode?"

"Eh?"

"The rules are simple and these also apply in spellcard battles," continued Rook, seeing the fairy's confused face, "One: is that you can use any of your spellcards without time limit. Two: is that I'm not allowed to use my spellcards during the battle. Three: is that I will remain on the ground while you can fly to your heart's content. Four: I hit you three times, it's game over. And if you are the last person standing, then it's your win."

The fairy's mind seemed to have trouble processing all of this, nevertheless she understood….. Somehow.

"So I hit with all I got and I win?" said the fairy in the simplest term she could think of.

"Mmm, close enough," replied Rook.

"Deal!"

Within the skull, Daiyousei was yelling at Cirno to stop but her voice wouldn't reach her friend. Cirno didn't know that this was all Rumia's doing and if she somehow accidentally kills that person then she will be in deep trouble. That person also didn't look like he was weak or anything. If Cirno was going to fight, then Daiyousei had to tell her to be careful. Either way, this wasn't going to end well.

"My name is Cirno, and I'm going to kick your butt!" introduced Cirno while flying up to declare her Spellcard, "Hailsign~HailStorm!"

At the back Rook's head, a tiny voice muttered, _Battle Start_!

Proof that he has played too many games while on the Outside. His focus returned to reality as it suddenly began to rain ice. Icicles made of Danmaku were born from the ice fairy's wings herself in waves. It had no definite pattern and left a great deal of gaps for him to make his way through. Apparently if he were only able to fly, he wouldn't be able to get close for close combat anyway. And hitting children wasn't really his style. He continued to weave and dance on the ground while Cirno seemed to be enjoying his display.

"Yeah, that's it! Dance you mean human! That's what you get for messing with the fairies!" laughed Cirno, confident that she would win this.

It was only a matter of time before Rook got hit, he knew it was inevitable yet prepared himself anyway. Being on the ground made him easy target but he didn't care. It was all part of the plan. Rook stretched out his right arm and gathered electricity. Unlike last time since his power was greatly decreased, his electricity was now the bright color of sapphire instead of pure white. They didn't carry the same amount of power and yet… **They still hurt a lot if you get hit!**

Rook let loose a bolt once; followed by another in the brief time he had for the space he was in to remain open. The ice fairy noticed this and brought her hands together while leaving a space between her palms. The icicles headed for random directions all suddenly increased in numbers, causing the area to be dense with ice bullets giving the bolts no chance to hit the fairy.

"Ha! You'll have to try better than that!" taunted Cirno while increasing the amounts of icicles in the air. The gap disappeared and Rook was back to dodging in the ground. Cirno was confused, the human didn't seem tired or anything since the last five minutes of constant movement. He hasn't even stop to rest and only halted when he fired those bolts. She found him strange because he never got tired.

Behind the trees, Rumia watched. _Just_ _what is with him? Proposing rules that would put him in the wrong end of the stick_, thought Rumia biting her lower lip. She wished that Rook should just hurry up dying so she can feed him to the other youkai. _He's crazy! Just look at him, why does he have a hand on these rules anyway? Wasn't the shrine maiden the only one who can control it? Besides, from what I've heard from the others, the rules were applied_ _to this big Barrier and yet why can he bend it? Gahhh, this is so confusing!_

Rumia continued to observe the battle from afar and noticed a few things. Cirno's spell card as promised hasn't timed out yet and was still continuing its random barrages to nowhere, though most of the icicles were aimed towards the ground. Rook was managing quite well for a human. Giving his long years of experience in battles, it seemed like he was used to this kind of setting. Or maybe he just practiced beforehand. Rook wasn't just firing lightning bolts this time, but energy filled orbs of electricity. Slow moving yet the amount of force they create when detonated was enough for the trees around Rumia to shake.

That was where she saw it.

* * *

_**{Elsehwere…..}**_

_Can you see it..? Can you see it…? Come on look through it. He's right there. He's going to save you? Wow that's new. He's coming to save us! Really? I thought we already lost hope. He's there. He's there. We can see him. Come on closer, you can see him too, right? Hey! Look through his eye. His eye. Red….Sweet…. He's fighting the fairy. The fairy? If she hurts him, then we'll break her. Break her? That's fun! If they dare hurt him, then we'll break them too. BLOOD! Hey, you're too noisy! Come on look through it! See? See? Flan-chan look! Hey Flanny look at him he's coming to save you! His eye, his eye…. Look through it…. We'll be very angry if the fairy hurts him. Looky, looky, Rook almost died! AHAHAHAHA! Hey! Be quiet you're too noisy! Flandre…_

_Flandre….. Why do you insist that you're going to be saved?_

"Because…..He promised me….."

_Promised? Do you really think he'll be able to keep it this time?_

"Shut up…"

…_.._

_It's no use, she's too much of a wuss to listen anyway._

_AHAHAHAHAHA! She's useless! Useless, no wonder sis never liked us!_

"Shut up... All of you shut up!"

…_..Flandre, why do you keep on believing? I don't understand you at all._

"Go away… You're all mean. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

_We can't silly! Even if we wanted to we can't._

_Heeheehee, I'll play with Rook first when he comes to save us. So much fun! Candy! Candy_!

_Flandre… You do realize that….We're a part of you…_

"He'll make you all go away. I know he will."

_Where do you get all this faith….?_

* * *

_**{Back at the battle….}**_

Rook had his hands clasped together before spreading them on either side of him. At that the same moment, blue power filled orbs surrounded him and homed towards Cirno who was still maintaining the same pattern she has used at the start of the battle.

_Cirno can only increase the power and intensity of her attacks because of her spellcards, though Rumia wide eyed at the revelation, while that guy can freely manipulate his attacks into any kind of angle, pattern or position because he isn't using any Spellcard!_

Rumia inhaled a lung full of air before shouting, "WOOHOO, I'M A GENIUS!"

A lightning bolt almost hit her in the head, causing her to duck and glare at Rook who was doing the same in the midst in the fall of ice, finding enough time to make a throat slitting gesture with his thumb. Rumia gulped and continued thinking, _I knew it! I knew he won't do something crazy without planning out ahead, he knew this from the start and he wanted Cirno to underestimate him with the advantage of flying and spellcards. He's trying to get Cirno to lower her_ _guard!_

"Hey, you blue headed fool!" shouted the darkness at the ice fairy.

Cirno took the time to find the source of the call and said, "Rumia?"

"Cancel the Spellcard you mumbling blighter! You're playing at the palm of his hand!" continued Rumia, "Cancel the Spellcard with another, NOW!"

Before Cirno could even process the youkai's words, two orbs detonated on either side of her, though the power wasn't enough to land an actual hit but enough to stun and clear the area of icicles. Rook slid on the ground and came to a halt on a kneeling position to avoid an incoming icicle. How Rumia managed to figure it out impressed him. It seemed like that the Youkai of Darkness wasn't a complete man eating idiot after all. However whether they cracked the puzzle or not, he was going to win either way. Carefully taking aim with his palm, Rook shot five times making sure that at least one hit its target.

To his luck, two managed to land a direct hit, while the ice fairy grazed the last three by a hairs breadth.

"Darn, that's cheating!" complained the fairy, halting the waves of ice for a moment to speak.

Rook could only smile at that. _Your mistake_, he thought before imbuing his right arm with electricity. Aiming it at the fairy once more, a faster bolt was released missing Cirno by inches. Cirno finally decided to cancel her active Spellcard with another. Raising her hand in the air she declared her second card, "Happy Ice~Frozen Frogs!"

Rook expected more icicles but to his surprise there were none. Instead ice balls started to form around Cirno before she unceremoniously tosses them into the air and let gravity do its job. The human should have realized it the moment the ice balls were thrown into the air.

_Carpet bombing,_ was his only thought before making a wild dive to his right. The patch of ground where he was standing earlier was now covered in a thick layer of ice about six feet long. Rook noticed that the ice balls that hit the lake's waters completely froze it. Apparently this was the person who he was looking for. He can make a bridge if he just used those balls of ice. But why did the fairy call the m frozen frogs?

Rook had to dodge another ice ball headed his way; the area that it could cover could prove fatal for him. For a split second he saw a silhouette of something within the ice ball. Ohhh, so that's why it's called frozen frogs….

He could just shoot the ice balls in the air before they hit the ground. It will probably save him energy on moving around. Rook began to gather energy in his hand once more and prepared himself to shoot at an ice ball headed towards him. He prepared his hand to shoot only to find that out that he didn't have any power left. Not only that but he miscalculated the distance of the speeding frozen frog, causing it to collide with his outstretched hand.

His heart skipped a beat at the sight of his right arm encased in solid ice. Rook fell backwards at the weight of his frozen arm. Rook tried to use electricity to thaw his arm out of the ice but couldn't find the power to do so. It seems like he used all of it on those orbs earlier. The coldness of the freezing ice made the blood in his arm almost stop and for his muscles to go numb. If this goes on for a few more minutes, then his entire will go dead.

He glanced at Cirno whom had a look of triumph in her face as she cancelled her Spellcard for the next one. Holding another card between her middle and index finger, Cirno shouted to the heavens, "Ice Sign~Freezer Sword!"

A medieval broad sword made of ice materialized within her tiny hands. It seemed like the fairy struggled to carry its weight, but nevertheless she was still a potential danger to Rook at the moment. For a moment, the sword gleamed in the sunless sky, casting a wicked light. Confident in her victory, Cirno dived.

"Not cool," muttered Rook as he struggled to channel power into his arm. If he could focus as much power as he can and release a bolt strong enough to break through the ice, he would be able to release his arm and dodge. However doing so would require time, which was something he didn't have right now for a rampaging fairy was on her way to cut him.

At the back of his head a tiny voice muttered once more, _Crossroad time!_

"What the hell is wrong with me?!" he asked while thinking, _If the worst comes to worst then I'll have to use my gun and shoot her. But doing so will leave a bad taste in my mouth… Even if she is a fairy, shooting children isn't me at all. Rumia's an exception… Or… I could use my knife, but the fatigue that I'll experience after this will affect my infiltration of the mansion. Damn…._

Rook rested his left hand above his chest and watched as black red electricity channel out of his coat. The dagger he had within his coat shined an ominous red and felt the warmth of power course through his right arm, giving him enough strength to lift it. Rook counted to three, and just as the fairy was ten feet away from him. He raised his frozen arm to mid chest and released the electricity contained within. Cirno didn't have enough time to react as she was consumed by the red-black glow and by the ice fragments.

**{GOOD GAUGE INCREASED}**

* * *

Cirno was lying on the ground groaning at the pain of the explosion. She didn't die, which was surprising since every time she played Danmaku she always died at some point. Just earlier that day she died because of a Red-White shrine maiden. It was as if the human she fought didn't want her to die on purpose. It was strange because she didn't understand it. Humans never liked fairies in the first place and yet why… Ah, is that Daiyousei? She was above Cirno, calling her name. It seemed like she was okay, which was good. It meant that Cirno successfully saved her.

"Cirno! Cirno can hear me?" Daiyousei frantically asked at her fallen friend. The Greater Fairy's eyes widened as Cirno opened her own, and not a moment too soon embraced her in a bone cracking hug. "You dumb idiot, don't do something like that again!"

"The mean person, where is…he?" asked the ice fairy, though her voice was weak.

"He wasn't mean, he even helped you recover," explained Daiyousei, wiping the dirt on Cirno's cheek with her dress, "It was all Rumia's fault, she was the one who trapped me and had that person fight you. He didn't actually want to fight, but you didn't listen. Now look at you, you're all hurt."

"Rumia did? Where is she I'm gonna give her a knuckle- ouch!" Cirno tried to rise but found it too painful to do so.

"Please I need you to rest," said Daiyousei, it looked as if she was close to tears.

Now that Cirno thought of it, she was resting beneath the shade of a large tree as she lay on the soft green grass. She saw what she did on the lake shore and her eyes instantly lit up.

"I froze the lake…." She muttered in a daze. She looked at Daiyousei and shook her lightly, "I froze the lake….woohoo…." With a thud, Cirno fell on her back once more, staring at the gray sky just above the roof of leaves above her.

"That man that was with Rumia…was strange," said Daiyousei, "Even after she tricked him, he still took her with him, muttering something about using her as a guide. He also borrowed a couple of your frozen frogs to make a path to that big mansion."

"They must be strong….To go to that scary place…." The second time Cirno tried to raise herself, she found out that she was successful, "But still, I'm gonna hit Rumia in the eye for tricking you…."

Daiyousei didn't have anything to say and continued to stare at her friend. She didn't catch the human's name as he left, but she had the feeling that she'll know sooner or later. But for now, something strange was happening….And she could only hope that he could put a stop to it.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: _I would like to thank Acha and Wolf for pre-reading this chapter for me. Despite the heavy hits I took, the former got me thinking on a alot of things, heh. Now seriously, this hobby of writing of mine just got a whole lot complicated. I dunno if this is a record time release, but what the heck. Just caught up to Imperfect Metamorphosis and it was like a mind screwy drug dipped in coffee and reheated five times on Mokou's flame that gave me crazy ideas of mine own.

Seriously the fic jus as I did in the first chapter. Now I'm reading the Shrine of Gensokyo by Wrathe Winsre.

Thanks again to Wolfsbane and Achariyth! Now I'm off to working on the next update! And school... expect the next one to take a long while.

See ya! Oh and reviews are highly valued more than gold, don't forget to leave one! **Seriously...**


	17. Chapter 10: Assault

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Unedited Chapter, ye be warned!_

_I'm back with vengeance! Well I always say that at the start of the month. Heh._

* * *

**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**} {**_Normal**} {**Hard_**} {_Lunatic_} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**CHAPTER 10: Assault**

**Year: ?**

**?:?**

**Subconscious**

* * *

_Rook…._

_Rook…._

I open my eyes and there she was. Standing a few feet away from me in this blank room of white with her hand outstretched towards me. She looked the same as ever, the same red dress and blonde hair. Her dirty mob cap and that ribbon that I gave to her as a gift. Heh, now that I look at it, she looks just like her father. Explains her personality then, why did I just notice this now?

I make an attempt to speak yet no words come out of my lips. She's right there, she's right there. She needs me, I have to help her.

_Rook…. Please…._

Her crimson eyes turn misty as she struggled to come up with the rest of her sentence. I extend my arm towards her, my right hand visible at the edge of my vision. In this white world, she was the only one who was there. She was the only one who mattered. I felt sad to see those clear tears fall unto the floor as she began to sob.

Her lips moved as if to say her last words, _Save me…_

I watched as the white world grabbed her from behind and claim her. And then… the white world had claimed me too….

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**7:15 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Border, Gensokyo**

* * *

This time, Rook woke up to reality. He can hear the rush of the wind blowing itself over the thick roof of leaves above him. At the distance, he can hear the ripples of the lake's waters. The moon must have looked spectacular on its surface. However at his current position, he could do nothing but rest quietly on the forest floor with his back against a tree. He could feel the tiny insects scuttling beneath his palm as it rested on a tree root. Cool air entered his lungs as he inhaled them, the past hour has been uncomfortable yet it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

Shortly after defeating Cirno, he had managed to acquire five frozen frogs, in which he had discovered was brimming with power. How the fairy could achieve this much energy and focus it into one place was beyond him. Unfortunately, he couldn't do anything for the frogs trapped within the ice balls. It seemed to be that the magic which made the ice balls freeze anything it hit, was the fact that it somehow used the frogs' life as an energy source. At least that was how Rook put it.

Anyhow, he had successfully made himself a narrow bridge upon the lake's surface by spending only three frogs. The rest he mercilessly tossed towards the Youkai of Darkness whom landed him in the near death situation in the first place. But despite all of the trouble she had given him, Rook decided that she should come with him since she was one of the few youkai to have set foot around this mysterious island.

Rumia probably knew or was quite familiar the area more than anyone other than the owners of the island itself. Why she kept returning to this place was a question Rook was going to ask her at another time. But now it seemed like using his dagger had indeed taken a toll on his body, thus delaying the mansion's infiltration for some time until he recovered. He even made a mental note on not to get flashy during his assault. But something told him that splash damage would serve him quite well at the time. However the point was that he needed a full hour till he regained his full strength, which did not do the Human Village nicely with every second passing by.

The human finally opened his eye by a fraction of an inch. A few paces away from him were a thick dark green bush which was rustling noisily for the past five minutes. A couple of ominous glowing red lights burst into existence within the bushes. It stared at the helpless human in front of it, before pouncing forward.

Rook, who was feigning sleep, stretched his right hand faster than the eye can see. The next moment was that he his right palm directly on Rumia's forehead, the youkai's teeth still human, yet somehow felt like they had enough power to snap Rook's spine in half. Rumia's eyes glow intensely, but before she could even think of her next move, Rook has already sent her a shock that could rival a Taser gun's voltage. Rumia was sent back down on the floor, twitching uncontrollably though her movements were subtle.

Rook waited for a few seconds to pass before saying, "Is it me, or is every assassination attempt you make on me always fails? That or either you're cursed or just have downright horrible luck?"

"Redundancy is your policy, eh?" cackled the twitching Rumia.

"Well I find your constant failures redundant and annoying," replied Rook to which Rumia sent him a venomous glare.

"You cheated, you cheater!" she spat viciously to which Rook answered again.

"Duh, that's what cheaters do miss Genius," said Rook dismissively, "Oh and by the way, unlike you I'm not one to pounce on people in the dark. Seriously, you're a magnet for misfortune. Come back again when you've gotten better, but until then you're under my thumb and I will always kick that sorry butt of yours."

"Bumbling fool, who does he think he is?!" Rumia muttered darkly while perfectly knowing that Rook can hear her, "He's lucky that I didn't cut his head in half."

"Nope, you're just a failure of a hunter," retorted the human, taking off his glove to pick his ear.

"Say something witty again, old chump, and you'll find your family jewels nailed on a tree's bark," warned Rumia, the edge on her voice indicating that she was serious. Alas, Rook wasn't having any of it. He simply leaned forward and touch Rumia's forehead again, sending her sprawling on the floor while clutching her head. All the while sending a flurry of curses at the human who contently sat by, observing and learning all of her swears.

Not exactly the little miss sunshine she was now, hm?

* * *

They had set off ten minutes after the brief spat the duo had before setting a course to the north. Of course the trip was riddled with the occasional fairy gang, but other than pests they encountered no problems aside from Rumia using Rook as meat shield just because it was convenient. Though as much as the youkai wanted to tear a hole through the human's chest and annoy him to no end, she was surprisingly cooperative when it came to directions. The forest path that they took had many twists and turns, crossroads and forks, leading to god-knows-where. For a brief moment, Rook caught the smell of something he feared. That's when they came across the dump.

"Corpses…. And a bloody lot of them- OUCH, What did I bloody do this time?" cried Rumia under the threat of Rook's fist coming down on her head again. Apparently she hadn't realized that she just made a pun at the worst of times. Before them were indeed corpses, bodies piled unceremoniously together and left to rot. Most of them were bloodied as Rumia had just made fun off, so he reckoned that they were killed just a few days ago.

High above, the sun was covered by a bank of clouds. A light breeze blew their way, forcing the stench of the corpses to travel towards the duo. Rook examined the dump from afar, and he noticed a number of details. One is that the corpses were dumped in the middle of the road, probably to serve as a warning to anyone who dared to continue their way. Two is that a few of the bodies were fakes, not actually real bodies, but scarecrows of the some kind mixed with the other bodies of what used to be the living. Three was that the bodies were consisted mostly of youkai, bat youkais, Tanuki, fairies and many more, so there were probably no lasting fatalities. After all, youkai resurrected after a few years of being killed, so that means that these guys still had a chance to live.

The fourth however was the one that bothered Rook the most. This time it was real human corpses, all coated in their own blood along with the blood of the other dead youkai. But despite being the least of the corpses' numbers, they were undoubtedly many. At least eighteen humans were lying within the dump, all void of life and blood. Those who were sticking outside far enough for Rook to clearly see them were gaunt and their skins were paper white.

It left the human an impression that they were used as the vampires' source of food until Remilia decided to dump them here. The youkai were easy to explain since they were probably one of the locals, but the humans, judging from their clothing, were from the Outside. Meaning that no actual human casualties were yet to be made from the Human Village

Rook heard the movements of feet and said, "If you're hungry then I suggest trying to hold it in. I hate it whenever I catch you eating someone's liver while still smiling."

To his surprise Rumia didn't respond. He glanced at the youkai at his side and saw that she was eyeing the corpses with something he usually thought was only meant for him…. Anger. Now this confused the human greatly, why would Rumia, the rampaging man-eater of the Road of Liminality, would look at the corpses with so much hate? Should she not be happy since she came across an easy catch, saving her time and energy than hunting for food? Sure that she has the pride of hunter but Rumia was an opportunistic whelp who exploited every chance of meal to herself. It was strange not seeing her pouncing on the hunk of flesh before them and instead staring at it with a cold glare.

Rook crossed his arms and asked, "A penny for your thoughts?"

"So that you can be filthy rich? Not a chance, mate," replied Rumia with a snort. Rook's gaze rested upon the youkai girl's hands, they were trembling in deep rage. He needed to know why.

"Come one, you seriously can't wait for the thing to spontaneously combust by just staring at it," said Rook with an annoyed expression, "So, care to share what happened? You after all, are the only one who set foot as far as the gate of the mansion somewhere over there. I assume that you've witnessed much more than just this during your stay here, Rumia…"

With a deep sigh and by pinching the bridge of her nose, the Youkai of Darkness said, "Fine, but prepare yourself for a long crappy story, and I tell you this old bean, it will not be pretty."

"Hmph, I'd hate to know your definition of 'pretty'," said Rook in a cold tone.

Rumia's hands relaxed and her shoulders slumped, "Well I can start with it being unfair. Unfair that these blasted foreigners suddenly sprouted out of nowhere and started to claim all of the game for miles around. Well you can guess what happened next."

"The youkais fought back due to their territories being invaded," replied Rook, who was listening intently.

Rumia nodded at that and continued, "Yep and I tell you it was bloodbath. Youkais, especially the Bat Youkais of the lake shore swarmed this island. I just happened to be passing by and decided to have a look at what was causing all of the commotion. What I beheld, my dear friend, were bodies the same as these scattered everywhere. Limbs, arms, head and torsos, organs hands and more littered the grounds of this island. The very waters that surrounded it turned crimson as the night went on. The ferocity the youkais that banded together had displayed were no short of terrifying and so I silently cheered for them in the sidelines. Alas, my cheers were unheard for it came to an abrupt stop as the youkais were slain in a flash."

_No surprises there,_ thought Rook.

"I pity my brave brothers and sisters as they willingly threw their life in the line just to regain their respective territories from the grasp of the invaders. Sadly, they all perished on that Scarlet night," Rumia turned her gaze unto the grassy path in which behind the dump of corpses that was blocking their path, "The blood that flowed that night covered the even the soil, killing the life that used to flourish beneath it. For days, fishes died around the island's area and fairies tended to avoid the place whenever possible. There was news among the fairies that most of their people were disappearing all of a sudden, never to return. Daiyousei, bless her, did everything she can to avoid a mass confusion among her kind. And you know what? Even that annoying Cirno helped."

Rumia paused for a moment, her face adopting another expression Rook never saw, a look of sadness.

"Tell me, mate, have you seen the state of the youkais before you came to seek me?" she asked, though it didn't seem like she wanted Rook to answer, so he remained silent, "They were pathetic and wretched, aggressive by letting their instincts fill their drive to live. Going as far as killing their own kind. It makes me sick, you know that? They were desperate for food, for a meal, for human flesh and yet these bastards of foreigners step in and take it all away from them!"

_It's not like I support you for wanting to eat humans, but you have a point there,_ thought Rook, keeping any comments that would make Rumia go for his throat.

"Well, I may not be the smartest youkai around but I can tell that if those lots continue with this foolish stunt of theirs then something bad will happen. If they go on and bust people's heads all they want, it won't matter if they're capable of defeating large numbers of youkai, the entirety of Gensokyo will be on to them."

_A tipping in the power balance, of course….. _

"And if you're supposedly heading to that house of theirs right now, then that means that you're helping the shrine maiden in solving this incident!" Rumia turned to face the human, all traces of rage gone from her face, replaced by a wide grin on her face, "You better do something about this, mate. Or else one night, the Luck Fairy will be smiling on _me_."

"Brush your teeth and act stupid, and the fairies will probably swarm you. Oh wait; you're already an idiot to begin with—"Rook was about to plow on his sarcastic remarks when Rumia finally snapped and hurled a ball of pure darkness at him. All he needed to do was to step aside to dodge the attack.

"Whoa, slow down there!" another ball passed by his ear, "You're going to kill someone!"

Rumia willed a ball of darkness to form in her hand, only for it to change color into bright blue-green. "Yes, and hopefully that someone would be you." Rumia cackled cruelly beneath the human's cold glare and went off on her own, continuing down the path as she did. Rook allowed a few seconds to past before following suit.

"So…" began Rumia, her eyes glancing at the human over her shoulder, "I've shared my story, how about you share yours?"

Rook didn't answer, but instead came to a halt and glared at the sky.

"What are you looking at—? Ah, yes…" Rumia also came to a stop and decided to stare at the sky too. A faint pulsating ring spread outwards from the moon. A few moments later, the sky was adopting a red shade replacing its midnight blue. Rumia's grin widened and said, "Oh ho ho dear, it seems like you're in for a bad night, human. A very, very bad night…. You'll need all the help you can get."

Rook only responded with a sigh. Without a word he trudged on the forest path, leaving Rumia behind to watch the sky transform. If only he could get Ran's help on this, however that proved not to be an option judging from what she had told him.

All he had now was her advice. _Do not approach the basement…_

"Hey Rumia, we still got a lot of time till we reach the gate," said Rook without looking back, though from behind him he hear Rumia's reply.

"Yeah? So?" said Rumia while picking her ear.

"Wanna hear about the Outside World?"

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**7:15 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Voile the magic Library, Gensokyo**

* * *

The Voile was currently undergoing... Renovations. Or so had the sign at the library's doors said. Deep within the library itself, its keeper sat contently within her study. The scratching of a quill was the only thing that broke the silence. A girl in her mid-teens hand her back bent as she wrote on her Grimoire feverishly as ideas and incantations travelled across her mind. She was writing so fast that her hand was almost a blur.

A pause, followed by the sound of a quill dipped in ink.

"What is it Koa? I told you not to disturb me," said Patchouli Knowledge without turning to see the red haired succubus behind her. A cup of coffee was placed within her lamps light; causing the librarian to look up on her assistant's smiling face.

"You sure have been working a lot ever since we've arrive," said Koakuma, clearing unnecessary objects on her mistress' table, "Why not take a bit of break? You'll need your full strength if something were to happen. Besides, have you heard of that Red-white woman attempting to storm the mansion?"

"Yes, and it seems that Hong is doing a good job in holding her back. What of it?" asked Patchouli, ignoring her coffee and continued on writing.

"Well, it also seems that she won't be giving up too soon. The girl is stubborn and refuses to accept defeat under the Gate Guard's hands," explained Koakuma while grasping for objects that could hinder Patchouli in her work. Years of working under her mistress allowed her to learn to be careful around Patchouli and be as quiet as possible when performing her task, "Even Meiling can tire out, if that human keeps this up then Meiling will eventually fall. I mean, she shows up almost every day challenging Meiling! Can't she take a hint or is she just that insensitive?"

"Why not both?" commented the purple clad girl without glancing at her servant. She stopped half way through a page to take a sip of coffee.

"Um, Lady Patchouli…"

"Yes?" Patchouli bit back a curse to Koakuma for interrupting her again.

"I was thinking about, you know, _him."_

_**SNAP**_

Koakuma suddenly flushed red and held up her hands before Patchouli could explode. "N-N-N-Not in _that_ kind of way, but what if he tries to get in again? I mean he got in last time, and yes, Meiling did get a bit stronger than last time, but is it all enough? W-W-What will we do if he does arrive again? C-Can we handle him?"

"So you think that I didn't prepare for this beforehand like five years ago? You doubt that the security and power that I blessed Meiling and everyone here wouldn't be enough to keep him out for good? You think that I'm going careless? Is that what you want to think, Koa?" Patchouli's icy tone made the little devil wince. Instead of pressing on her assistant and disciplining her, Patchouli let out a heavy sigh pinched the bridge of her nose, "Look, I know you don't have any ill intentions in your words, but please be careful next time. And Koa, please have some faith in me. He won't succeed even if he did plan anything. Besides, he's weak and we could easily take him on with one hand tied around our back."

Patchouli managed a small smile on her lips as she said, "But then again, this was Rook we were talking about, being in his current state of weakness won't let him stop storming this mansion and wanting to wring my neck. Well, that will actually be a sight to see, because I want to see him to at least try."

"Why would you? I mean, wouldn't be a waste of effort on your part by setting up all of these security measures?" asked Koakuma, her tiny bat-like wings on her head flapping nervously.

"The same reason why I read all of these books, Koa," said Patchouli, "For the sake of Knowledge. I know that you find it stupid, but not for me. I want to test the limits of his determination, find and exploit his weaknesses so that I can turn them against him. It's all in the matter of 'knowing your enemy' strategy, have him make his move, find the pattern and counter. If he ever attempts to change tactics then just have him do his thing and repeat the process. Wash-rinse-repeat."

"So, you have a plan? You really think we can beat him?"

"Koa, I always have a plan, and no, I don't think so. Acting like this makes us look like those second-rate villains in novels at the Outside. And villains always lose…" Patchouli took another sip of her coffee before continuing, "But that doesn't mean that he's the hero… This is a game of villains with both sides capable of something worst than destruction and a hell lot of collateral damage."

"Uh, well, aren't both of you kind of selfish if you put it that way?"

"Perhaps, all the more reasons why I should finish him off this time. I can't afford anything else piling up and increasing my problems," Patchouli gently grasped the quill that hung before her and went back to look at her table. "One problem is that he has allies, which wouldn't make this game any easier than it is. He has allies in this world that could help him succeed in his mission. Even if we did have a time stopping maid, a rare breed of youkai as Gate Guard and Mistress of Fate, I doubt we can handle an onslaught of this world's most powerful beings put together and tossed at us. No, I have to do something about that, especially with his connections with the Gap Demon. As long as we're in this world, hiding from our hunters from the Outside, we're playing by _his_ game board."

Patchouli dipped her quill into her ink box and the sound scratching resumed.

"Second is that he has acquired himself a rather interesting power even with his old and much more powerful one gone. However, even with it, his body wouldn't be able to handle the strain by sustaining it for too long thanks to my move last time. But still, it doesn't hinder him on having an edge if it all comes to a fight. That man has made all kinds of deals with Demons while here."

"I'm a Demon!" piped up Koakuma, only to flinch at Patchouli's cold glare. "Sorry."

"And the third is that he has a hand in the rules of combat established here in Gensokyo."

"Rules of combat?"

"The Spellcard system as the locals like to call it," explained Patchouli, "A set of rules that forbids lethal methods of fighting, sticking more on beauty and patterns than burning the thing in front of you to a crisp. Though I must say, it is an interesting idea and I consider experimenting it myself to study its capabilities, however I digress. From the information I have gathered, it is more on keeping the youkai induced kills to a minimum. I guess that this place was already rough to begin with before we came here."

"So what does Rook have to do with it?"

"He has a hand in it, given to him by no other than the Youkai of Boundaries herself," Koakuma's eyes widened at Patchouli's words. How could a creature that is even considered higher than a Divine Being simply hand such a power to a human like that? Then again, Lady Patchouli had explained to her how the Youkai of Boundaries has supposedly allied herself with a clan of priests and shrine maidens in order to build this world. It wouldn't be much of a surprise for the Gap Demon to start trusting an old mortal like Rook.

"Though for all good reasons, I presume that it has something to do with the unstable magic in the air," Patchouli went on, pausing only in her task to dip her quill, "I have sent out artificial scouts, drones, miniature golems or whatever you would like to call them, to survey the landscape while gathering information from the locals. I found out that out of hundreds that I sent out of my window, only fifty managed to hover steadily in the air while the others fell limply into the ground. Sakuya was more than happy to help me in cleaning but still… The magic here isn't balanced and I assume it was only recently that it was fixed. Unlike the Outside World where magic is scarce, the magic here is different. As if something has warped it and bent it too far."

Koakuma flapped her wings twice in confusion.

"And I so happened to find out that the Great Barrier that keeps this world intact have changed a great deal from the book that I read about it," Patchouli paused and turned a around to face her familiar, "In order to balance out and repair the magic back to its original state, I can deduce that the Gap Demon has bent this so called 'Spellcard System' by creating another sister System."

"I see," muttered the Little Devil. _He's more dangerous now than we thought, _echoed Koakuma's mind. "So it's possible that he can use this 'System' against us? Can we also use it against him?"

"I don't know, for I haven't used it myself, however I think it would be wise for us to take note of this information. It may or may not be one if his little tricks," said Patchouli.

"But then again, the knowledge of this 'other' System is already known to him. Heck, he might even already mastered it already," said Koakuma, her tone troubled by this fact.

Patchouli glanced at her half done Grimoire and stared at it for a few seconds. "There's no need to worry Koa. None of us would lose as easily as last time. I doubt that he would be able to advance through one of us without receiving a mortal blow."

"Huh?"

Patchouli locked gazes with her familiar; Koakuma flinched and took a step back at the sight of her mistress' eyes, "Like I said I have a plan, and that we have a few surprises of our own." One of the Great Unmoving Library's eyes was crimson and with a faint scarlet light, while the other retained its clear purple color. "Even if he did get through us, it doesn't mean that he'll reach his goal alive with his body still intact. However if it is I who meet him, I'll make sure that nothing of him remains."

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**7:55 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Border, Mansion Path, Gensokyo**

* * *

"Are you alright?" asked Rumia.

"Huh, what?" said Rook jerking out of his trance.

The two have been walking on the same path for the last forty minutes. The mounds of corpses far behind their backs and its stench now unnoticeable. Rook had just finished explaining the things that he encountered in the Outside World. So far, Rumia seemed interested enough to keep from jumping on him ripping his throat apart. For her part, Rumia seemed to be a good listener if not for her nasty side comments. She would nod and gesture for him to continue, giving her views and opinions about the different cultures and events that happened Outside.

Sometimes Rook would think that Rumia's ditzy and clumsy nature were all an act. Though at the back of his mind a small voice told him that Rumia was still a predator and that he had to be on his guard. Who knows that she was just acting a bit human now while she kills him later? She was a youkai, just like Yukari, though unlike the Gap Demon, Rumia was acting on pure instinct and willpower to help her in the act of friendliness. She was waiting for a moment of weakness on Rook's side to attack.

A cold breeze descended upon them as they continued their way. Rook had guessed that the mist was no ordinary one, in contrast with what he told Keine, the worst that he could think of is that the mist was enchanted and that the forest that it has hidden had traps tucked away. The mist itself wasn't that thick, just a thin veil that blurred the human's surroundings. If one wouldn't be careful then the chances of hitting a tree was high. Which was exactly the reason why he brought Rumia with him as a guide despite what she did earlier, by setting him up so he can be killed.

But he had to let it slide. After all, she did point him to the only person who could help him cross the lake. Cirno would probably refuse if Rook spoke to her for assistance in getting across the lake. Rumia explained that Cirno treasured her frozen frogs as a secret weapon and that she won't use them unless in battle. So in a way, she helped him. Besides, they were headed towards the mansion, if anyone would attack them, Rook can always use her as a meat shield.

"You were spacing out, losing your nerve already, human?" asked Rumia with a smirk across her face. That however didn't last when Rook jabbed two fingers of electricity on her neck. Rumia yelped and glared at the human while rubbing the back of her neck.

Rook expected her to snarl, or at least say a snarky comment yet what she said next somehow surprised him. "Ouch, that hurt. So, I think it is about time that you tell me what you did and how you did it"

"Who say what now?" said Rook, giving Rumia a weird look.

"Are you daft? I mean when you 'cheated' during your fight with Cirno, you two faced nincompoop!" screeched Rumia in a shrill voice, an accusing finger held up high, "You deceived her, you deceived a dear friend of mine and you have the nerve to forget about it? Unbelievable! I won't let you get away with this!"

"Oi, you deceived me and may I tell you that the Pacifist Mode didn't actually help me in the slightest? It was the only way that I can resolve that fight without having to use too much violence!" argued Rook glaring at Rumia in turn.

"Then explain! Tell me how you 'cheated'!" demanded Rumia, standing in front of Rook, blocking his path.

"Get out of my way, I'm not in the mood for this," said Rook with much coldness that could make a person wince. Rumia however did not back down and took a step forward, allowing herself a small smirk to return on her lips. "Not until you explain, it doesn't seem fair, doesn't it? That we Youkai will submit to rule that you say without first having full knowledge of it," She said with equal coldness.

A few seconds passed before Rook realized that he was wasting time. With a sigh, he began explaining himself, making it as brief as possible.

"Fine I'll tell you," he hesitated for a moment, choosing the right words before, "The Pacifist Mode is a sister System devised by no other than Yukari Yakumo to prevent another world destroying catastrophe from happening if ever her crowning jewel; the Spellcard System, should ever collapse and wink itself out of existence."

"Wait, what? Care to simplify things?" requested Rumia, her face full of confusion.

"Why of course, your head is filled with so much meat that you lost your ability to comprehend the simplest explanation that I can give you," said Rook, his words thick with sarcasm. Rumia kicked him on his knee in retaliation.

"Explain again, now," she growled, bearing her teeth.

"Okay, okay," said Rook, while his hands were on his knee. He shook his head to get rid of the pain, before facing Rumia and continued, "Look, remember five years ago where the sky was falling and everything almost went to hell? A few hours later after I shot you on the head?"

"Get to the bloody point already!" snapped Rumia.

Rook merely nodded and resumed, "Well that was the time when I found out about the Shrine maiden's plans of creating the Spellcard System. By binding herself and her descendants' life to the Barrier, she has the power to create these Rules. As soon as I caught wind of it, I went after her and tried to stop her from performing the ritual. It was a stupid idea actually; the Yakumo was the one who deceived her making her think that it is for the better when it wasn't. She was deciding the fate of her off springs and bloodline after all. If one descendant chose to rebel and neglect their duties, then Gensokyo will be eight different flavors of screwed up."

"And then what?"

"Well, that's when I stepped in. I made an attempt to convince the Maiden through words yet because of her hard headedness, she decided to use force," Rook had a melancholic expression as he said that, "So I played by her game then, while she threw whatever she had left in her at me I went on and took it all, just to stop her from doing something stupid. And that's when things got complicated. I used the dagger given to me by a friend to cut through her border as the ritual was reaching its climax. The dagger, mixing with what's left of my power, entered the Barrier's network, which would have caused a would be distortion into the original Spellcard System."

"Oh, so you messed up. I like this story," snickered Rumia but Rook ignored her.

"Because of this, the Yakumo was forced to act and had to bend the original Spellcard Rules and the Border to make a place for another set of Rules. Another anchor so that the Barrier would remain intact despite the distortion," Rook paused for a moment to catch his breath. "That's how the Pacifist Mode was invented. Along with it is the Border of Duel where you could face off with another person while having the Spellcard Rules active. Meaning you can fight a hand to hand combat while using Spellcards."

"Interesting, I may not have understood half of what you said, but I can still make up that you messed up. So is this 'Pacifist Mode' as you call it limited to your use?" asked Rumia.

"No, it's simply because most people don't know about it yet and it wasn't introduced the same time as the Spellcard System," said Rook, kicking a rock on whim, "I'm the first one to know since I caused the problem resulting to its birth."

Rumia seemed satisfied with what she had been told and stepped aside. Rook merely passed her without a glance while she followed suit. It seemed like Yukari had planned this all along, using his actions as an excuse to create another set of rules. Of course she attempted to stop him, yet she didn't come to him personally that time and beat some sense into him because of his actions. To create another set of rules would strengthen the Barrier, and that's all Yukari cares about.

Two people playing with his actions like a puppet. The Magician and The Phantasm, maybe he was just Chess Piece after all.

Rook continued on walking while Rumia decide to float in her orb of darkness, probably thinking about the information she had just acquired. One thing was for sure was that she was going to warn the other youkai of this sister System of the Spellcard Rules.

"Human…" called Rumia's voice. Rook ignored her and walked on.

"Human," she called again only to receive the same treatment. Rook started to get annoyed, she had done this five times already can't she shut her mouth at the most inconvenient of times.

"YOU BLOODY PRICK, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" she screamed and suddenly, the ball of darkness in which she resided in knocked Rook off his feet into the bushes to his right. The human had enough time to notice a number of blue and red kunais soar past the area where he had been. Rumia's ball of darkness managed to move away just in time for the kunais to hit.

Rook's eyes immediately darted to the perpetrator and jumped to his feet. "Hong…"

Wasting no time, Rook ran after the retreating Gate Keeper.

"Damn it you daft bastard! Don't go after her alone!" shrieked Rumia as she regained control of her orb and tailed Rook from behind.

* * *

Rook didn't know where he was going; he didn't even notice the mist getting thicker and thicker. All he had in mind was following the shade of crimson hair and green clothes at the distance, running away from him. It didn't take him a few minutes to realize that he had lost her. All around him was a thick veil of scarlet. The surrounding trees and bushes gone. Not even the sky was visible through its sheer density.

Rook resisted the urge to smack himself upside the head. Hong probably led him to a trap, and judging from their previous encounter, he expected that things were going to get nasty. Taking a few steps forward to god-knows-where, Rook can hear his own footsteps against the rough ground. No wind, no sounds from the lake. If Hong was here then that could mean that he was near the mansion.

A soft tap to his left, followed by the rush of wind. Rook ducked and watched as a blur of white sailed pass his head. Another tap was followed by the next blur of white; Rook brought his arms up to block the attack. That's when he remembered he didn't activate his ability.

_**CRACK**_

Rook felt the bone on his right arm shatter as it collided with Hong's ferocious kick. Rook was sent back a couple feet before he regained his bearings, just to see Hong sprint towards him and jump. The Gate Guard twisted in mid-air and delivered a three hundred sixty degree kick. Rook took a step back to avoid getting hit, however the force of Hong's kick seemed to have enough power to scatter the mist around them. Soon the background came into view and the Scarlet Mansion loomed in the distance.

Before Rook stood Hong Meiling, Gate Guard of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

The human eyed the Gate Guard cautiously before saying, "A little impatient aren't you? You know that I was going to pass the front gate one way or another."

"What's the use of waiting when we can fight now? I've waited a long time for this," replied Hong, her eyes filled with hate.

"Look, five years isn't really that long for youkai standards and—"

"**WELL IT IS FOR ME!"**

The ground shook as Hong stomped her foot on the ground. The soil cracked under the brute force applied to it while Rook took a step back while holding his broken arm. Speaking in his calmest voice, he then said, "Hong, I can explain, but I would have to ask you to calm down."

"Hmph, Lady Patchouli warned of your words. I'm sorry to tell you but you won't be able to worm yourself out of this one," Hong then adopted a defensive stance, "This time and like last time, we talk with our fists!"

_Heh, so thinking ahead, Magician? Not bad ,but that won't stop me from tearing down your door,_ thought Rook but out loud he said, "I don't know what Patchouli told you but please, at least give me a chance to explain myself. There's no need for senseless violence. I just want to speak with your employer _peacefully_. Things don't have to end like last time."

"Like hell I will," snorted Hong, her eyes narrowed at the human before her, "This time, I'll make sure that you will not pass!"

_As much as I want to say 'so be it' I can't. Fighting her in my state is suicide and if her emotions are in check unlike last time, then things will be as twice as hard,_ thought Rook, _I can't use my last move on her since, but maybe if I can get a bit creative…._

"Fine then, but at least allow me to ask a couple of questions," it wasn't an order, more like a request. Rook felt stupid for running off like that, leaving Rumia behind. Her help would certainly increase his chances of winning while dealing as little damage as possible to Hong. If the Gate Guard has been following him around since he got here, then Rumia's presence won't be a surprise any longer and any gesture that tips her off that he was stalling, then it was all over and the fight will begin. Nevertheless, he would've brought the Youkai of the Evening Shade enough time to find him. And the sounds of explosions and yelling would definitely catch her sight.

Hong appeared to be confused for a moment before setting her expression back to its usual stern one. "Final words in the form of measly questions? I don't have all night, but I will honor your dying wish, warrior. What is it that you want to ask?"

All throughout her reply, the Gate Guard never loosened her stance. Her muscles tensed as if ready to pounce at any given moment. Her hands were balled into fists while her feet were firmly planted on the ground. She was person ready to kill its pray by tearing it limb by limb.

Rook winced at the pain of his broken arm and slowly took a shaky breath. He felt like a huge burden was taken off his shoulders. He pushed his luck and allowed a moment to pass before setting his face straight. His gray eyes meeting with the scarlet haired woman's own for a split second before asking, "These past few years after our previous encounter, a few days after our battle, have you experienced any strange things around you? Visions or dreams that seem too coherently realistic to be a simple 'dream'?"

If this were a normal encounter with a passerby, Hong's face would have shown a surprised look, however, this situation was anything but a simple conversation. The Gate Keeper set her jaw straight and answered coldly, "Yes and the strangest thing is that you were in them."

_Bingo,_ mirrored his mind while Rook said out loud, "Okay then, next question. What did you see in them?"

This time, Hong took a few seconds to formulate a reply. She seemed to be having trouble on what to say and her eyes had shown an internal conflict occurring within her. Finally, she tore her gaze from elsewhere and glare directly at the human in front of her. "I saw you, and… The Mistresses, both of them. I was with them too, though I didn't see Sakuya with us, we were happy." She frowned, "I've never realized that the Mistress would be able to make such an expression. To smile… And the Younger Mistress too, to see her outside her room, to see her smiling while she sits by the fire place and you tell her a story feels so... so… Infuriating…"

Hong raised a finger towards Rook, "You knew us, and we knew you. The strangest thing is that we don't remember anything. Lady Patchouli explained that it was only a spell that you casted upon us to make us believe what you want us to believe."

"Actually it's the other way around," said Rook, yet seeing Hong's eyes smolder kept him in place.

"So you say that our Librarian is lying, and that you are telling the truth?" asked the Gate Keeper with her teeth bared.

"I can't say for sure, what does your heart tell you? What does your mind tell you? In short, what do you think? A Youkai like you isn't so easily deceive, Hong Meiling. You know deep inside of you what the truth is and what it looks like," Rook had a sharp edge in his voice as he spoke. Speaking every syllable as if to crack some kind of Barrier that kept him away from Hong.

"Your name is Rook… Lady Patchouli mentioned your name once," said Hong, her eyes narrowed.

"That I am, and I am flattered that the Magician still remembers me," answered Rook with a slight bow.

"Then prove to me who you say you are, asshole," was all Meiling said before drawing out a spellcard from her pocket and declaring it, "Star chi~ Earth-moving Star Bullets!"

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**8:23 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Gate, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rook acted instinctively and dived wildly in order to dodge the mammoth sized bullet of pure energy. To his unfortunate luck, he landed on his right, pushing far more weight than he intended to his broken arm as he landed. Growling in pain, Rook ducked for cover behind the thick trunk of an oak. Rook was about to call out to her to stop when he heard the Gate Keeper yell once more.

"Flower sign~ Gorgeous Sweet Flower!" roared Hong.

The next thing Rook knew was that the tree he was hiding on was being assaulted by wave after wave of red and yellow crystals. It was impossible to communicate with the Gate Guard using reason in this battle. She was determined on defeating him and leaving him dead. She seemed to have lost sight of him if she has resorted to a spellcard that fired at every angle.

Rook winced at the pain of his broken arm. He was about to heal it with his standard spell but thought against it. Instead, he unzipped his belt bag and took out a tiny glass vial filled with green liquid. _Bottoms up, _he thought before downing the liquid in a single gulp.

The Earth's Blood effects were instantaneous. A warm soothing sensation washed over his right arm and soon numbed the pain. Rook felt a surge of energy course through him, reinvigorating his tired nerves. He felt refreshed as if he had just got a good night's sleep.

A crystal shard brought him back to reality as it nearly hit him. _I can't waste time, _he thought before experimentally flexing his arms and twisting his wrist. He glanced over his shoulder and found that Hong's spellcard was still active. Good. It will give him time to set up; just a few seconds will be enough.

While _that_ spellcard is still active, Hong's movements were limited which is why she hasn't stomped her way to his hiding place yet. Rook had the choice of charging at her while she's in a bind, or wait till her spellcard times out. The question is which one will prove wiser?

Rook willed his electricity to flow across his hands while his eyes sparked for a split second.

The human burst from behind the tree and began his hard journey through the dense curtain of bullets. Rook saw that Hong was still on the ground, meaning that he and his opponent were leveled since she didn't take the initiative of flying yet. This way, he would be able to locate gaps and take in the pattern at the same time. Rook ducked and then moved quickly to his right, leaning to the left as he switched directions. The human made quick work of his feet as he weaved through the patterns like The Shrine maiden or the Witch would do while in the air.

_10…_

_9…_

_8…_

The bullets were fast, yet Rook's senses were faster. The thought of dodging everything hell threw at him repeated within his mind as if it was programmed in his brain. With every step, he released a puff of air from his lungs. He had to last just for a few more seconds and then it will be all over.

_7…_

_6…_

_5…_

_Just a little more, _he thought as a bullet flew past his ear. The feeling of almost getting hit made his heart skip a beat. Rook found the sensation of the battle exhilarating, working every part of your body to abide your will while at the same time keeping your mind focused to process the incoming bullet's speed and distance. The trick to dodging spell patterns was to have coordination, for without it, you were good as dead the moment the duel began.

_3…_

The human's eyes gleamed as he saw his path give way. He then broke into a sprint.

_2…_

He leapt over a cluster of yellow bullets that were supposed to hit his legs before aiming his arm directly on the ground. Rook released a lightning bolt below him, the recoil giving him enough momentum to rise a few feet into the air.

_1…_

_SPELLBREAK!_

The yellow and red crystal Danmaku all came to a halt as they crumbled into blood red rubies. Hong watched as the card within her hand disappeared and all of her bullets to waste away while the still air-born human aimed his palm at her and-

_**BOOM!**_

Rook landed on a roll before standing straight up again. All around him rubies fell as remnants from Hong's broken spellcard. Apparently, whenever Spellcards were activated, there would be a timer in which the spell was allowed to remain active. Should the timer reach zero, the card will vanish, no exceptions. Judging from Hong's surprised look she was unaware of this. Rook made a mental note to thank Yukari for debriefing him before hand, even though the debriefing was well over three years ago. Well maybe it was just dumb luck that this 'bullshit' plan worked; at least he landed a hit.

He can hear Hong's ragged breathing despite the distance between them. It was only now that he saw her clearly for the first time since he run into her that evening. Hong had actually gotten herself a new set of clothes though not actually that different from her usual attire, or at least the outfit Rook saw her in during their previous encounter.

Her dark green dress was decorated with what looked like golden dragons embroidered into the fabric. Two long braids on either side of her face hung as Hong dipped her head low. On this occasion, Hong didn't have her usual Green Beret cap, but instead replaced it with a more traditional Chinese head wear similar to her cap. Like her clothes this also appeared to be dark green, and the golden five pointed star pinned on it seemed to shine in the faint moonlight.

The Gate Keeper gritted her teeth before deliberately raising her head. Rook frowned as he saw that the Gate Keeper's eyes have lost their usual aqua blue color and was replaced by fiery scarlet, the same color of her long flowing hair.

_Now this is something new,_ thought Rook before adopting a simple stance by raising his fists before him.

Hong licked her lips as she snarled at Rook with spite, "Chi sign ~ Fierce Tiger Energy Release…."

At her word, a spellcard released an ominous rainbow glow from deep within Hong's pocket. Soon, it seemed like Hong's body was actually producing its own light when in reality it was her Qi that allowed her to shine. At every second a different color coursed through the gate Guard's body, blue, violet, indigo, green, yellow orange, and red which made her look like a human rainbow. An angry 'human' rainbow. Something told Rook that this was going to hurt.

"I'm going to tear you into pieces and scatter your body parts all over the island!" roared Hong, giving Rook a display of her sharp canines. Her rage was so strong that her aura was affecting the human in front of her. Rook felt something wild and primal awaken within him. He wanted to fight her yet his mind told him that he shouldn't. It was like he was possessed by a creature that had great love for the rush of the battle and yearning for a stronger opponent. Everything within him screamed that he should fight her, that it will be… Fun.

Rook shook his head and gathered his wits. He was only to attack to defend himself, which would mean that this will be a good time for _that_ move. Rook inhaled a shaky breath as he muttered two familiar words "_Checkmate_"

The human spread his arms behind him as he released large amounts of electricity out of his palms while breaking into a run the next moment. With his increased speed, Rook only took a few moments before he was right in front of Hong. The Gate Keeper didn't seem to be surprised, and raised her arms in defense as the Human drew his fist back. What Hong expected to be a punch turned out to be a feint for a kick to her legs.

Hong leapt moments before impact and replied with a kick of her own while in mid-jump. Rook blocked the attack by raising his arms while Hong used her momentum to bounce away. Rook pressed on the offense with a kick and a hook; however both attacks were easily blocked by Hong's forearms. Hong pushed him away with a kick to the gut, causing Rook to grunt before grabbing the offending foot. Rook pushed the Gate Keeper's foot upwards with deliberate force, causing her to lose balance and fall flat on her back.

Pushing her arms behind her, Hong jumped and landed on her feet before sending a volley of jabs and hooks at the Human. Rook responded by blocking every single one of them save for the few that got past and hit him, however even if he was hit, his constant blocking will prevent Hong from pulling any more combos. After a jab, an uppercut, and a backhand, Hong twisted to her left and sent her right leg for a high kick.

Rook ducked and jabbed, only for his fist to meet with Hong palm.

Hong realized her mistake a second too late when Rook forced eight hundred volts of electricity into her. Hong resisted the urge to scream, the unstable energy rushed within her very own veins like thorns sprouting in her blood vessels. It was so painful that her nerves almost went numb. However Hong's will dominated, she grabbed Rook by his collar and threw him. She watched as Rook rolled on the dirt for a second before stopping in a crouch.

Rook didn't seem to be troubled by this and charge at her once again.

He had to win this while causing as little damage as he can. He can't just let Hong be hurt because she was doing her job. True that she wanted to kill him, but maiming her will be unnecessary. All he had to do was get past her, how hard would that be?

Rook charged at Hong once more and pushed himself off the ground. The Human leapt over the Gate Keeper's height, avoiding a kick that Hong sent from below. His jump was short lived as someone grabbed him by his ankle, and the next thing he knew was flying again and hitting the dirt hard.

"My turn…" whispered Hong while dashing towards the recovering Human.

Rook's instincts took over and side stepped Hong's high kick with ease. Ducking low as Hong attempted to catch him with her between the pit of her leg. Rook used the Gate Keeper's surprised reaction to send a palm that connected with her jaw. A shock was sent all over Hong's body as she felt her chin go numb. The Gate Keeper forced herself to regain her balance while at the same time redirecting Rook's second counter. The Human saw this and jabbed at Hong's belly only to be blocked by her right hand and receive a painful blow to the ribs courtesy of her right knee.

The two broke contact and dashed away from each other.

_She's pissed alright, _decided Rook. He reached for his gun holster and drew his Sleeper Gun._ Nighty night, China._

_**BANG**_

_**BANG**_

_**BANG**_

_**BANG**_

_**BANG**_

Hong didn't even flinch as she got shot, if she had any familiarity with the weapon the Human was firing, she gave no indication of it except for an audible snarl. Green darts made direct hits to her arms, hand, neck, stomach, collar, and even her head. Yet her eyes remained alive and burning while her body continued its slow, threatening steps towards Rook. He then realized that he had already spent all of his shots and quickly opened his belt bag for a reload. Slapping the magazine into place, Rook pulled the slide in one deliberate movement before continuing his assault.

He aimed for her head and quickly came to a halt. Rook stared at Hong with narrowed eyes as she bared her teeth with a bright green dart between them. A moment later she spat the bullet out of her mouth and advanced forward. _This is going nowhere, and fast__…_

* * *

_Where is he? Where is he? Dammit, I shouldn't have waited for him to come back! The insufferable fool!_

Rumia had her arms outstretched on either side of her as she zipped from tree to tree. Having lost Rook in the thick scarlet fog all because he saw someone he knew, Rumia was now doing a teeth gritted search for any signs of the human. As she searched, Rumia was currently experiencing an internal debate within her mind. One side of her told her that this was stupid and that it wasn't worth her time, that she could always leave him for dead because of all the torment he has done to her.

Another side of her told her that the Human was somehow an important person if she were to look carefully at his stories. Yakumo, Hakurei, the Outside World, his existence was somehow significant enough to have come in contact with those names and world. So if she were to somehow help him, then she will be living the Youkai dream of fame, fortune, and food. And if the Luck Fairy happened to be in a bad mood after what she had done to Daiyousei, then the worst case scenario was that the Hakurei will be after her, and that's the last thing that she wanted.

After pushing a thick dark green shrub out of her way, Rumia had the entire lake spread before her. _Bloody hell, I'm going the wrong way. Of all the effing times my idiocy has to act up! I-_

At that moment, the Youkai of the Evening Shade had noticed a couple of things. One was the smell of her Human companion's scent had reached her sensitive nose. In the presence of the lake's silence, she can hear the distinct noise of loud banging at the distance in what seemed to be the very heart of the island. With her senses, she would be able to locate him just by using the sounds and his scent. It seemed like he was fighting, no surprises there.

The second thing was that someone had snuck up behind her. Rumia whirled around to see a woman in a dark dress and hooded robe. All she saw was the woman's lips while the rest of her face was obscured by her dark brown hood. The woman muttered a few words and Rumia suddenly froze.

"I… see… What do you want in return?" asked the Darkness Youkai, her eyes narrowed and her brows knitted together.

The woman said nothing and knelt down, placing a bundle of cloth on the ground. Rumia hovered closer to the object and lifted it from the ground with her left hand. She studied it with both suspicion and curiosity when something fell from the cloth. It was card. When Rumia picked it up, her eyes widened at the words written.

_North East at the gate…_

Rumia flipped the card over and identified the card as one of those that she always played with Cirno.

_Queen of Hearts._

* * *

Rook was having a bad time. From his gun assault, the battle reverted back to hand to hand combat with both fighters in equal footing. While Hong's attacks were more practiced and organized, she didn't get any chances of landing a hit. Same with Rook, only which his attacks were not as practiced and had no definite pattern. His defense however was commendable since he managed to pull Hong into a headlock a couple times before being thrown off.

Hong side stepped on Rook's intended jab to her face. But instead of grabbing hold of the outstretched arm, Rook was stunned to see Hong chomp down on his wrist and heaving him off his feet with the strength of her mouth alone. Rook's back crashed against the brick wall at the side of the Scarlet Devil Mansion's gate. To Hong's annoyance, Rook stood up and shrugged off the pain on his left wrist while charging once more.

Hong licked her lips of Rook's blood and waited. Rook swung one crackling fist which was met by a forearm burning with light blue light. Hong countered with a hook of her own, yet the Human was too fast as he ducked, causing her to miss. Rook grabbed her with both of his arms and secured her hands. What seemed to be a strategy to hold an enemy down backfired when Hong pulled her head backwards and leaned forward. Her skull crashed against Rook's, his grip on her hand loosening; she grabbed his right arm and twisted it. Pushing the Human's arm against his back, she sends him to meet the floor. Hard.

She restrained him like a police officer would do to a criminal in the Outside World.

"Time to end this!" she roars, lifting a fist filled with blue aura.

For some reason, Rook laid perfectly still. Hong came to realize this a few seconds too late as something big, black, and incredibly hard threw her off her prey. Her arms placed at her side as she gritted her teeth, Hong's anger seemed to increase at the outside interference. She saw that the newcomer was nothing more than a child. Dressed in a black skirt and a black dress, the girl gazed at her with unimpressed eyes. Now who did this kid think she was?

What caught her attention were the girl's blonde hair and the bundle of cloth that she had in her grasp. She watched as the girl turned to Rook's prone position and give him an experimental kick.

"Get up you pathetic sack of meat," said the girl without mercy. "Leaving me in the middle of the mist like that, are you out of your bloody mind, old bean?! How rude of you, this is unacceptable! Look here mate, if you don't get your poor excuse of a face from that soil right now, I will turn into your personal nightmare! Now get UP you confounded prat!"

Rook kept silent, yet rose to his knee nevertheless. He just looked annoyed. After all of the things Hong put him through?

"Here," Rumia shoved the bundle of cloth into Rook's hands while the Human stared at her suspiciously. "Take it and throw it on the ground if you're in big trouble. I think it'll help you."

"What the heck is this?" asked Rook with an eyebrow raised, "And why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm the only one who can help your mortal ass out of here," replied Rumia before stretching her arms on either side of her. "Now cooperate and tell me what to do!"

"You're helping me?"

"Gods, no! I'm going to sabotage this fight and kill you!" said Rumia in a mocking girlish voice before she snapped, "Of course I'm helping you, now hurry and fight!"

At the distance, Hong was already making her move as she sprinted across the ground at high speed. Rook grunted as he stood up and went out to meet her. Suddenly everything became pitch black; it was like someone has closed the curtains on Rook's surroundings. _The nasty little-_ Rook's thoughts were cut short as he saw colors erupt from the ground of the void. The colors were bright and many, it was like they were footsteps headed towards him… Footsteps.

The ground shook and erupted in a bright light of yellow. In the darkness, someone pushed Rook to the side and he immediately plants his right foot behind him for support. In front of him, the Human felt a light blast of wind past by.

_It may not improve your mood, but I got your back, old bean,_ said a disembodied voice.

Rook didn't respond with anything but a nod. He can hear someone's breathing in front of him; Rook presumed that it was Hong's because of the lights. Another push and Rook avoided another deadly blow. He didn't know what Hong was using to hit him, but he could tell that one wrong move and he was dead. A pale blue fire shined before Rook yet refused to give light to anything. His instinct acting once more, Rook waited for the right time for the flame to come at him, all before redirecting the attack to the spot above his shoulder.

"Attack sign~ Roc Killing fist!" roared Hong as everything came to view, and the darkness disappear.

Hong seemed to be surprised that she hit nothing but thin air. Judging by the look on her face, she too experienced that world of darkness not a few moments ago. But it seemed like she had the wrong end of the stick because she was full of scratches and cuts that weren't there before the shadows came. Rook gazed deep into her scarlet eyes before kicking her in the gut, sending her away. Hong grunted and didn't have enough time to recover before Rook sent another kick to her arms blocking her chest, causing her to back up a couple of feet.

The Human spread his fingers and blue electricity crackled along his hands. A few second later, he shot his lightning bolts at the Gate Keeper. Hong had to raise her arms to shield her face. Soon the nerve numbing sensation was replaced by stinging pain, only to realize that she was being assaulted by Rumia's Danmaku once more.

The Darkness Youkai had a wide grin on her face while she declared her Spellcard, "Darkness sign~ Demarcation!"

The Spellcard and Danmaku kept the Gate Keeper in place, long enough for Rook to close in. Once she saw that the Human was nearing the opponent, Rumia cut off her Spellcard. Hong watched as Rook burst from the dust and smoke to attack. She stepped back a pace to avoid a kick before responding with a jab, only to block his hook. Before Rook could even think of electrocuting her with his fist in her palm, Hong threw him into the dirt and declared her own Spellcard at Rumia, "Chi sign~ Star Bullets!"

Rumia yelped as she got out of a big blue ball's way, only to be hit with another. The Youkai of Darkness fell to the ground like a dead fly.

Hong turned her attention back to Rook and pounded his skull with her palm. When she was satisfied, she kicked off the ground and launched herself into the air. Her hands glowing with rainbow energy, Hong sent balls of Qi from her body that broke into clusters of tenths, turning to hundreds. The wave of death crashed directly on the rising Rook's back, giving him a full feeling of unholy punishment.

"Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! **DIE!**" screamed Hong in her rage driven onslaught. A few more explosions and Hong came to a halt, breathing hard from the amount of force exerted. _This power… I'm unbelievably stronger than how I used to be. So this is the power of magic? Lady Patchouli was right, I did become stronger! I actually beat someone who I lost to!_

Hong's face was grim, yet she was somehow impressed on the power-up she received from the Librarian. "With this, I can protect this household form the likes of you…"

The Gate Keeper landed lightly on the ground, just a few paces from the gate. The dent Rook had made earlier was still there, yet Hong didn't care. It was over, he was dead, she killed him and he'll never come back. Never… come back…

_Hey China!_

Hong whirled around to see who had spoken.

_Heh, you like that nickname don't you? _

A pain exploded within Hong's temple, her knees buckled and she went down kneeling. Her breathing was shallow, and her eyes felt warm. The next thing she knew was that the dirt covered ground was disappearing and was replaced by gibberish, gray ripples.

Hong cursed herself for breaking down now as she did last time. She almost felt herself be consumed by her blind rage, a primal force waiting to burst from her chest. However the blazing fires that fueled her anger suddenly grew smaller and smaller. Suddenly, anger was replaced by sadness, hate traded for loneliness, and rage exchanged for yearning.

In the midst of the gray ripples invading her eyes, a silhouette formed in front of her.

_Come on now, be strong! You can't go off crying just by getting hit once._

_Rook leave her be, let her wallow herself in her failure. If you keep smothering her then she'll ever learn anything! And you! This is unbecoming of a guard, how do you expect protecting my sister like that?_

_Remilia, cut her some slack, it's her first try and she's still recovering. Though I have to admit, she's full of surprises, did you see how hard that punch was supposed to be?_

_A shame that it failed, though._

_Remilia… You're being insensitive._

_Tell that to yourself! And I'm only being practical here; I can't have an incompetent guard._

"I'm sorry Mistress, please forgive me…" whispered Hong. Her cheeks felt a warm trail travel its way down her chin.

The silhouette grew as if it was right in front of Hong. The Gate Keeper slowly made out its features.

_*sigh* Sorry 'bout that. Waking up just to see your progress with high expectations has gotten to her nerves. But you know what? Don't listen to her, she's always like that. And I know that you don't like her, but she'll warm up to you eventually. Remilia has a funny way of expressing her feelings. You know she wasn't usually like that._

"Why is she so mean? I tried my best to make her proud and yet…"

_Well, time will tell. Until then we have to practice. Remember, even if you've reached the highest point that you can reach, never stop training. We're a family now, and members look out on each other, always watching one another's backs. You have to be strong if you want to protect those close to you, okay?_

"I… Is this real?"

The silhouette formed into an image of a blonde young man with a smile on his face. Behind him, snow fell and the landscape was covered in a thick blanket of white. At the edge of her vision sat Remilia, munching on what looked like a piece of bread.

Hong's mind was reeling in. This… This was the same person that she was beating up earlier. This was the same person that she fought and won over. This person that she almost killed. Oh gods. Hong cringed and clutched her head. It was too much. Too much information, memories flowing in, barriers breaking, and everything finally making sense. It was impossible, it couldn't be…Him.

Piecing the puzzle and destroying it, before piecing it together again formed the same answer. Then, Lady Patchouli's words were… All lies?

Hong felt like throwing up. He was telling the truth. Even if most of her memories are still vague and obscured by blurs, she did know him. In fact, she travelled with this man named Rook. And even though she won't listen, even though she can kill him, he still made an attempt to convince her.

Even if he got beaten up in the process.

Hong's vision blurred and Rook's smiling image disappeared. The memory had ended and she was back in the forest, right in front of a kneeling Rook opposite of her. He looked like as if he had come across a warzone, though stating such a thing wasn't far from the truth. All around them were holes, dented trees, and newly formed craters. Nevertheless, the Human was still alive and intact, even his clothes were still stitched together bearing now holes or cuts in them.

Rook himself however, wasn't much lucky. Blood dripped from his left nostril while he sported a shallow cut on his left cheek. His right arm was placed on Hong's shoulder while his left hung limply as if dead at his side.

"You little bundle of joy," said Rook while closing his eyes with a smile on his lips, "You never fail to surprise me."

He shakes his head while glancing over his shoulder. "Oh goody, rough day, Rumia?"

"You… You…" began the girl dressed in black, looking absolutely furious. With a sigh, Rumia dismisses her anger, "You definitely owe me for this. Big time."

Rook turned his attention back at the staring Hong, apparently too weak to stand after fragments of her memories returned. She allowed a couple seconds of silence before speaking, "I'm… sorry…"

The duo had mixed reactions, however Rumia's proved to be the loudest, "AFTER THE HELL YOU PUT US THROUGH AND THE BLOODY THING YOU SAY IS—"

"Rumia, stand down or I'll shove a village's worth of energy down your throat. Take it out again before shoving it back in," snapped Rook who was focused on Hong. To Hong he said, "Not your fault and I understand how you feel. You don't have to apologize."

"I… Please…" whispered Hong, as if choking in her words. Swallowing, the Gate Keeper finished her sentence, "Please kill me…"

Rook merely raised an eyebrow at this however Rumia decided to take the moment to add a side comment, "Suicide? Seppuku? Well, I must admit, I am starting to like this girl more and more."

"Rumia, you're not helping," Rook muttered coldly, giving the Darkness Youkai a cold glare.

"Heh, well as much as I can understand here, I think she's trying to be noble here, old bean. If I were you, I'd respect her wishes," said Rumia, "A warrior that has lost has nothing left to them except to claim their own life. Would you want her to live on in shame, or would you kill her and end her suffering?"

"I think this is stupid," Rook said as bluntly as he could. "It's a waste of good life and potential. This isn't really necessary."

"But I—"Hong gritted her teeth and shouted, "BUT I ALMOST KILLED YOU! DON'T YOU HATE ME FOR IT?! I SAID I HATE YOU, I TOLD YOU TO DIE! HOW CAN YOU LET ME OFF SO EASILY?"

"Um, human. Is it me or does she have a mark of a masochist?" asked Rumia to Rook's ear.

The Human ignored this and said, "How? Because I want to. Does it really need more reason more than that? Well if you want more, it's because you're Hong. Hong Meiling, the Gate Guard/Keeper or whatever. You were only doing your job; it wasn't really anything personal, wasn't it?"

Hong merely looked at the ground, sitting perfectly still.

"Good to have you back, China," said Rook, giving Hong a warm smile.

"Mister Rook, I—" Hong was cut short as she fell backwards, unconscious. Rook stared wide eyed at Rumia who had her hand raised in a chop.

"What in the seven hells did you do that for?!"

"Too fluffy, and that smile of yours is making me sick. It really isn't my cup of tea," sniffed Rumia, giving the Gate Guard an experimental kick. "Look, I'm doing you a huge favor here, and I'm expecting you to pay up with whatever you have once this incident's done and gone, but you're already wasting a lot of time and energy! Get your bloody ass out of—Bollocks!"

Hong started to stir but Rumia took care of her by sending a heel to her head, knocking her out.

"Go! Into the gate! And remember to use that thing I gave you!" Rumia grabbed the Human by his arm and dragged him before the iron gates. The Scarlet Devil Mansion loomed just up ahead across the wide lawn. "Go and get this incident over with, I'll take care of your girly here."

"This is… somehow bizarrely uncharacteristic of you," admitted Rook as he unzipped his belt bag and take out a vial with blue green water within it. Rook uncorked it, and Rumia watched him drink it in a single gulp.

"Yes, I know. Now go! You can't waste anymore time!"

Rook nodded and with a single powerful kick, opened the iron gates. Without a single glance at the carnivorous youkai behind him, Rook ran towards the mansion.

* * *

Arriving at the front door, Rook felt strange as if he was coming back home after a long day from work. Well, true enough that this was once his home in the past, but he wasn't certainly coming back from work. The mahogany made doors were spread open as thick tendrils of red mist poured out of the mansion's entrance.

After his encounter with Hong, he must have been feeling battle fatigue because he couldn't think straight. There was also the problem of the Price acting up for using his ability; getting held back by something like that would only cause him his life.

However, among the things that was on his mind, his hand reached for the bundle of cloth given to him by Rumia. He unzipped his belt bag and took the bundle from its depths. Before he could open it a card fell on the floor. It was a Queen of Hearts.

Rook's eyebrows rose, now this was something he hadn't been expecting. At the back of the card a message holding the location of the mansion's gate was written. It seems like Santa's little helper was lurking around. He could investigate this further later, but now Remilia was the main problem, and maybe even the Magician.

Taking a deep breath of air, Rook stepped inside the mansion.

He immediately caught site of the staircase the opposite of the front door, a red carpet leading all the way up to the second floor complimented well with the checkered tiles. It was strange to see that the mansion itself was free of any stray mist while from the outside it seemed like the mist was being released by the mansion itself.

Stranger enough, the mansion was empty. He expected to be assaulted by an army of fairies at least yet nothing came to meet him. At least that was what he thought. Everything became wobbly all of a sudden, and Rook's vision seemed to be failing him. Pain exploded upon his left side, followed by another murderously painful sensation at the back of his left shoulder.

Rook felt dizzy, he stumbled backwards a bit before falling on all fours on the red carpet. His breathing was shallow, and it didn't help him when he saw that the carpet was soaked. Soaked in his own blood. Rook grabbed blindly at his belt bag and carelessly unzipped it. The burning sensation was still upon him, causing his hands to fumble and shake. The contents of his inventory spilled on the floor.

Rook watched as a maid with silver hair and red eyes kick him on the head, knocking him out cold.

Death…

**Continue: 4?**

**{Y}/**_N_

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_Nicolas Notes:_

_Alright Rook, use that memory hack again and getting stabbed by knives to death is the only thing that's going to happen. That's the second death we get for the entire fic, hell, there's gonna be a more. Plotwise we're going at a steady pace though expect a couple of faces to appear out of the horizon, one especially experimental and could earn me a few questions from you guys... And probably a hell lot of raised eyebrows._

_So yes, I haven't announced this a while back since chapter 4 but we're in the AU territory since then as if it wasn't obvious enough, heh. And my thoughts on this chapter? The first parts and the China fight were enjoyable, and I really liked angry Meiling but then again when she was going to win, poof, memory jacked. But then again Rook took the chance, and Hong's memories are more or less back in gear._

_There may be spoilers from that part on how Hong met with the others but I'll leave it for next time. Apparently I'm leaving out a hell lot of spoilers scattered around the chapters awhile back. Can you find them all? And references, I made 'em subtle, try finding them too._

_And still no one guessed where Patchouli, Chen, and Meiling got their costumes?!_

_But I digress, lots of things are going to happen but they're going to happen slowly. This chapter wasn't pre-read seeing as how Wolf well... Had some things to do. Though the guy still did a good job on the previous chapters._

_I apologize for hurting your eyes with the mistakes._

_Now, I don't usually use swear words in my fics, but when I do, either the character's are very angry or I'm going crazy again._

_Update's are gonna be slow due to school and other fics dragging me down, don't look at me like that. Anyway thanks for reading, you can tell me your thoughts and views, I'll gladly answer a question or two. _

_Leave a review since they are treated as treasures! So yes, that's about it._

_See ya~!_


	18. Chapter 11: Infiltration

_Nicolas Notes: Not much to say here except that I'm alone and that an earthquake just struck my school. You know, boring stuff, heh. Oh yeah I'll just put this here._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou or any other Touhou related materials, and yes, this is an unedited chapter, pre- read only by yours truly!**  
_

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**CHAPTER 11: Infiltration**

**Year: 2005**

**10:26 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Guest Room, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rook didn't remember much before passing out. One thing that he did know was the fact that he was captured. He recognized his room to be one of the spares among those scattered around the mansion. He sat on his bed with his back against the wall, staring at the space that housed a desk with an oval mirror. The only thing that added color to the view was a lone potted plant sitting beside the mirror.

Aside from the dark wood of the desk, the white fabric of his bed, and the blue vase which held the plant, everything was painted scarlet. Yes, even the door.

He had woken up some time ago with his back burning with pain. When he had felt the pain, Rook reflexively reached for his back shoulder, and on it was a fresh bandage. Another was patched on his left side, and only did he realize that he lost his shirt and coat. After few minutes of searching, he found them neatly folded on top of the desk, though he also found out that he was still weak on the knees. He had to grab the support of a chair to prevent himself from collapsing.

Apparently the Price seemed to have done its thing while he was asleep, saving him minutes of pain if he were conscious. His body was still sore however. Since then he had been doing nothing but stare at the opposite wall. He could heal a bit faster if he had his vials, and he can probably defend himself for some time until his power came back with his pistol. The only problem was that his belt bag was nowhere to be found. It also appeared that his knife was taken, so he was utterly defenceless at the moment.

Rook would have devoted the last ten minutes on searching for them if he didn't feel so weak at the moment. Allowing himself anymore physical labour could affect his chances of fighting back. All he could do now was rest, and think of a plan on getting out of here and retrieving his inventory.

One whim, Rook grabbed the only pillow beside him and took its cover. Crumpling the white fabric, he threw it at the glass window to his left.

He wasn't surprised to see the casing to burst into flames. Watching the burning remains of the pillow's casing, he then grabbed the pillow itself and tossed it towards the door. Now instead of burning, the pillow exploded sending white feathers to litter the room.

He was now officially in a pickle.

Patchouli was in her right mind to set up wards and curses on possible escape routes. Rook didn't know if the magician used her most powerful entrapment spells to imprison him here, but the Human was willing to try it out. One thing he had to learn first is getting out without burning or exploding into oblivion. Rook wasn't taking his chances in turning into mist and exiting by the gap below the door for risk of being torn apart atom by atom.

Then again, why should he hurry? True that the incident needs to be resolved, but he can do that at any given time. For now he wanted to feel at home, despite the hostile intentions of the mansion's inhabitants towards him. He had to be patient, tackling one problem at a time and finding a solution for them. He just needed to relax for a bit. Rook closed his eyes and began to think anew. Asking Yukari for help was an option, though he doubted that the Border Youkai will help him since he has gotten himself in trouble, the woman loved seeing him in trouble and she won't hesitate on making things on his end much worse than it already was. Ran probably had more chances of getting him out of his current situation, but the stupid vixen was too 'busy' tending to her sleepy master.

He wondered what was taking Reimu so long. She should have resolved this a few days ago and yet why did it appear that she didn't exist? Her tardiness was something he was going to lecture her about later. The girl was getting too careless... And then there was Marisa.

Rook frowned at the thought of the human witch. It has been five years since Mima's sealing, he wondered if the Witch had already forgiven him. Probably not, judging from the flaming hate in her eyes the last time Rook saw her, it'll be a long time before she would go out of her way to bust him out now. Besides, he had no means of contacting her. Usually, Reimu and Marisa would team up together to resolve and incident, however looking back to the last time Rook saw them together, and they weren't really in the best of terms. If Reimu happened to be working alone this time then no wonder the incident was still on. And now Rook had to think about the damage he had done to the two's friendship.

Rook opened his eyes half way as he said, "How rude of me for not acknowledging your presence, Miss Maid. Please excuse my impudence."

A woman in her late twenties stood before the closed door, holding a silver tray filled with pastries and tea as she dipped her head low. "Not at all, Mister Rook. Old habits tend to die hard, I hope you are enjoying your stay," said the woman in cold monotone. It was as if she rehearsed the very words that she was going to say, and it also seemed that she was forcing herself on performing this task. But despite all of this, the woman showed none of it and simply placed the tray at the desk and poured some hot tea into a cup.

"So... It's a habit of your popping out of nowhere unannounced?" asked Rook, shrugging his shoulders, "No wonder this place gets so little visitors."

"But despite this, the Mistress wishes to be a good host to her guests," the woman paused for a moment and ceased enough tea for Rook's cup, "And a vicious monster to intruders."

"Heh, I should be glad that I'm of the former than the latter," said Rook accepting his tea. He blew on it once too make sure it wasn't too hot.

"Is... That so?" The woman observed Rook with a critical eye as he gazed at his tea, "Oh don't worry, it is not poisoned if that's what you're thinking."

Rook gave her a weird look, "What made you think that I thought it was poisoned? Well, I'm not _that_ paranoid unlike a certain resident here. Oh, so it's my turn to be given the weird look? Please excuse me, I was just engaging myself in a monologue, don't mind me. Though... I can tell that this is a well made tea just by looking at it."

The woman tilted her head slightly to the side, "Drinking it with your eyes?"

"Yes, one must appreciate the tea by first observing it, but make sure not to observe it for too long for the tea will get cold," explained Rook, rotating his hand a bit causing the tea to spin in his cup. "Geez, I sound like an old man." He then took a sip of his tea before turning his gaze at the woman, "The last time I saw you, you were only a few feet shorter, but look at you now a fine young woman you've become. And the tea's great by the way, Remi must be proud to have a servant such you, Miss...?"

Rook put emphasis on the 's', hinting that he was asking for her name. The woman straightened and set her jaw while saying, "Sakuya, Izayoi Sakuya." Sakuya curtsied respectfully before continuing, "I believe we have fought before."

"We have, and you were still a little girl back then," replied Rook with a kind smile.

"Actually I was already at my one hundred and twelfth year at that time," said Sakuya, standing by the shadows though her blue eyes seemed to glow faintly. Her silver hair in perfect contrast with the shadow as the light bounced of it. "Appearances can be deceiving; I suppose you already know this?"

"You're..."

"Human, as far as I can tell. I have been in service of the Scarlet Devil since eighty years ago when I built a name for myself," cut off Sakuya, Rook didn't look particularly bothered by it.

"Hmph, I won't be asking you how then, but does the term 'Whitechapel' mean anything to you?" questioned Rook, his face coloured with polite curiosity. He sipped his tea once more, only to find that his cup was empty. It seemed like he had already drank his fill.

"No," Sakuya stiffly replied. When Sakuya finally came into view, her outfit became more distinct. She wore a pint striped suit, its midnight black and snow white colour scheme went nicely with her pale complexion. Two black leather gloves occupied her hands, while she wore a black skirt below her. A pair of thigh highs wrapped themselves upon the woman's well toned legs as a single maid headband sat on her silver hair.

A woman of such majestic appearance worthy of being a vampire's servant. This woman radiated an aura of nobility around her that a normal person would have lost their breath at the sight of her. Rook however was anything but a normal person. Sure he has seen his fair share of beauties himself, so this wasn't anything new to him. He merely raised an eyebrow, and the meaning of it would be clear that he was impressed.

"The Mistress would like to meet you tonight at midnight. Word has travelled that only wished to _talk_ to her, and she has found it interesting enough to seize her attention, "continued Sakuya as she took Rook's cup away and placed it on her tray.

"So 'interesting' huh? Makes me sound I'm not worth her time," commented Rook as he scratched his cheek.

"Actually, you're not worth anyone's _time_. Especially mine," admitted Sakuya, giving Rook a blank look. The Human only ignored this and sighed.

"Well at least you're honest."

"You flatter me, but it will only get you nowhere."

There was a pregnant pause before Rook said, "So that's it? No death threats, black mail, scorn, hate, mockery or any of the usual rituals 'Butlers of the Big Boss' do?"

"I am a maid, kind sir. And no, I don't see any reason to expend my efforts on something so...trivial," replied Sakuya in the same elegant manner as before, "Though leaving with an honest reply will be enough to satisfy me."

"Unlike some people here with the nerve to set up a combustible curse on the window and a blasting spell at the door," said Rook apparently irritated.

"Lady Patchouli has her reasons, and I have no right to question her for I am but a lowly maid," said Sakuya as she got ready to leave, "It was strange for her to see her that way..."

"How? Did she say anything regarding my fate?" asked Rook, his eyes narrowed as he threaded the topic of his hated enemy.

Sakuya had her hand on the door's handle. "She has nothing to do with what will happen to you, that is up to the Mistress to decide. But to answer your first question... I have never seen Lady Patchouli with large amounts of glee on her face. I have a feeling that tonight will be very interesting..."

She pulled the wooden door open and closed it once more the moment she was outside, leaving Rook to stare at the door alone.

* * *

Over thirty minutes have gone by ever since Sakuya's visit. Rook had finally recovered and decided on what tactics he should apply during his escape. Obviously enough he will need stealth, but the only way he could get out of the room was the complete opposite of that. He was going to blow the wall to pieces using his power, therefore causing a lot of noise and alarm if discovered. He had no choice and time had pushed him to the extreme.

Though his expression at the time was calm, his mind was a raging storm of doubts and uncertainty. The only clear thing in his mind was his plan, so he had to focus on that. Years on the job of putting your life on the line for a certain number of reasons made Rook learn to keep his cool. He had approximately fifteen minutes or more before someone discovered the mess he made on the wall. By then he would've have recovered his inventory and weapons before heading to one of his secret passage ways to hide.

The Magician's tracking spells will be all over the mansion, scouring every nook and cranny for any sign of Rook's presence. At that time the mansion will be locked down and every living would be alert on flushing him out. But before they can even organize themselves he should be able to sneak his way to Remilia's room and confront her there.

He knew of the maid's power over Time, but if all were to go smoothly then there was nothing to worry about. He will be at Remilia's room before they could even find him. The vampire herself on the other hand was another thing. Rook knew of what she was capable of and underestimating her for even a second will be his downfall. One way or another, he won't be able to get out of here without a fight, so he decided that he would have finished his fight with Remilia as soon as possible before the cavalry arrives.

Not exactly a foolproof plan, but it was all he had.

Stretching his arms in front him while tightening his gloves, Rook muttered to himself, "Well, let's get the ball rolling..."

He closed his eyes as he raised his right palm towards the wall. The familiar tingling sensation of electricity coursing through his arm at great speed almost caused him to smile. Rook opened his eyes and at the same moment a bolt shot out from his palm and collided with its target. Surprisingly enough, the wall didn't explode. Instead the electricity crackled against its surface before fading away.

Rook released a heavy sigh. Of course the Magician was going to expect this, maybe his encounter with Cirno made him lose a couple brain points.

The human then looked up in surprise as the smooth surface began to crumble and collapse into sand, creating a large whole on the wall. No sounds from an explosion, meaning that chances of people checking the place out for disturbances were at a minimum! Rook was in an advantage.

As much as he wanted to celebrate he was under time limit. Rook glanced to his left, then to his right. Sprinting across the hall he reached a solid wall. Placing a hand over a hidden area, his fingers began to crackle blue electricity. The wall groaned as it began to move, revealing a torch lit passage way made of cold gray stones. Rook dared to glance one last time over his shoulder before disappearing into the passage.

_Let the games begin._

* * *

She was walking around the perimeter, seizing up the mansion's splendor It was nothing compared to her old home, but nevertheless this was the second mansion she has seen her entire life. If her pawn were to complete his task then everything will be smooth sailing from then on. Still, that didn't mean that she wouldn't assist him in reaching his goal.

There was another magician in this mansion, and allowing it to obstruct her piece in anyway would only make his task difficult. First she and the other mage had to face off.

The woman knelt down and ran her fingers along the dirt. Dust accumulating in her fingers, the woman simply blew them away. But something else was happening. The tiny particles began to multiply and started to adopt a dark pink color Soon in it became a thick veil like fog. A breeze blew by causing the woman's dark brown robes to dance in the air, and yet the fog merely floated as if nothing happened.

The woman breathed in a shaky breath before saying, "Rin? Are you there?"

The mist like substance shimmered yet made no noise. Soon an image of a straw haired girl with a large red ribbon and a sunny smiling face showed up from deep within the fog. The girl was somehow between the ages of twelve to fourteen and seemed like she was kneeling behind a bush. When she noticed the woman, her smile suddenly lit up as she said, "Yup, about time you called."

The woman let out a sigh of relief, "Okay, so are you ready? Did you put them exactly where I told you?"

"Yes! And you know what? That invisibility spell of your rocks! That maid didn't see a thing when I bumped into her!" said Rin with a mischievous smile on her face, "I guess you're right about one thing, this whole place is stuffed with security spells. Good thing you managed to counter them with the wards you put around me."

"Or else this whole operation will be for nothing," replied the woman curtly, "Now the dolls will activate in less than five minutes and will be only active for about three hours. One if we're unlucky, so until those things activate you better get out of there and let the hero handle the rest. If you don't get out of there now then you won't be able to fly and risk the chances of being captured."

Rin had just finished tying what looked like a tiny human figurine to a small iron post that stuck out the roof before asking, "Hey Al, why are we doing this again?"

"We've been through this Rin, I told you its part of my plan," answered the woman.

"I want to see mother again..." muttered Rin as she pulled her rope hard and made sure that the human figurine was in place. She turned to the woman's direction and gave her the thumbs up, "All set!"

"Good, now hurry back here, you have three minutes left and remember to put on the spell again once you're in the air," with that, the woman's final image of Rin was her jumping off the roof. Her white dress-like blouse billowing as she flew and faded into the scenery. From her point of view, the woman saw through the image that the human figurine was glowing a bright shade of orange before releasing the light similar to that of a laser beam.

The woman waved a hand across the mist and it quickly dissipated taking the image with it. She quickly turned her way towards the forest behind her and began to pace back and forth.

_The ward that I've placed on the dolls will disrupt any kind of magical flow within the mansion's area, but there's a probability that traces of magical energy will bypass the wards and allow the magician within to counter. My wards aren't exactly the strongest in existence and are only temporary, nevertheless they're all I have so he'll have to make do, _The woman allowed herself a silent contemplation on her actions, _If I help him now, then I would be able to further my plans. Everything will start here... Hmph, but I have to be careful there aren't exactly many people that I can trust save for Rin. The girl is too naive to go against me or to hide anything..._

She then turned her gaze towards the mansion, _You're truly an interesting person to gather this much attention. I hope my investment in you will come to fruition; otherwise I won't be risking Rin's life like this..._

"Here!" announced a disembodied voice followed by the sound of someone landing on their feet. Rin came into view as she ran towards the hooded woman and quickly tugged at the latter's sleeve, "Hey Al! Aren't you going to watch? Look the lights are all pretty!"

As childish as the girl seemed and how annoying her voice sounded, the woman couldn't help herself but smile. Maybe she felt a bit nostalgic at Rin's innocence. No matter, she then fixed her gaze to the area where Rin was pointing and watched as her creation unravelled.

Directly above the mansion, a thin network of orange lines that connected with each other similar to that of a giant spider's web. The sources of these lines were mostly located a few feet from the mansion's red brick walls, while a handful of them seemed to be on the roof itself.

The woman smiled as the first step to her plan was a success. Now that the introduction was over, this little helping hand should keep it in place. Not to mention that little something that she had in store should she ever meet the man again.

She gave Rin a pat on the shoulder and said, "Time to go, we're no longer needed here."

The girl on the other hand didn't seem to agree and pouted as she said, "Come on, Al! This should be a good show, why do we have to go when the good part is about to start?"

"Hmm, maybe because the coming battle will be destructive enough to obliterate everything on and around this island," replied the woman innocently.

It took the girl a couple of seconds to register her words before saying, "Oh, okay then. Let's go, I don't want to get fried before my time arrives."

With that Rin shuffled her way deeper into the forest and eventually exiting to the island's shores. The woman watched as the girl went on ahead as she took one last glance at the mansion behind her. _Hmph, don't make me regret this, Chess Piece. I hope this will prove as a fruitful investment on my part._

The woman spun around and went to follow Rin into the woods.

* * *

"Hey have you heard of the intruder earlier?"

"Yeah, those under Miss Meiling's command all saw the battle; they said that she got hit by some spell that made her cry."

"There's also word that a mean youkai was helping the intruder. One thing's for sure was that he wasn't strong enough to take Miss Meiling on his own."

Two black and white fashioned fairy maids hovered across the halls with their transparent wings. One fairy had short light green hair that hung just above her shoulder. She seemed to be having trouble lifting her stack of towels while beating her wings as hard as she can to stay afloat. The other fairy was more fortunate for she only carried a single wicker basket containing various brands of shampoo and perfumes. Her green hair which was tied into twin-tails on either side of her head was so long that they were touching the floor.

The two of them were discussing the previous events that had happened a few hours ago. Apparently they were one of the few fairies that witnessed the Chief Maid bring in the intruder shortly after he had entered the mansion. For the remainder of the mist's release all mansion personnel, save for a few handpicked individuals, were all to remain within the east wing of the mansion. However with their natures being fairies, a few of the staff dared ventured outside their areas and unfortunately crossed paths with the Head Maid, dragging a body behind her.

These two happened to be one of the unlucky ones who were at the scene and were ordered to do something else while their co-workers healed the stab wounds the intruder received. They knew better than to question their Chief Maid's actions but the closest thing they could guess was that it was orders from the Mistress herself. A couple their friends never looked the same as they exited the Mistress' room to deliver the orders for the Chief Maid.

"Well whatever, at least from what Miss Sakuya told us, we'll be having our own rooms after this! It feels like a promotion already!" said the short green haired fairy, designated as fairy number one.

"Hey, since we both got ourselves caught we'll be sharing rooms! Don't act all excited yet because it's not like we're having own rooms. I still don't get privacy with another person around," replied the long teal haired fairy with her hair tied into twin-tails, designated as fairy number two.

"Hmm, maybe the only reason you want privacy is because you keep on wanting to do weird stuff?" said fairy number one with a sly smile on her face. This prompted the second fairy to blush and sputter on her words.

"Y-y-you take that back! I can't believe that you're listening to those weird rumors!" hissed fairy number two in an angry tone, yet continued on floating to wherever they were headed despite being frustrated and flustered. "Some friend you are, hmph!"

"Uh, but we're sisters and—"

"I don't care, now shut up or else I'll put this leek in your mouth and stuff it down your throat!" cut off the second fairy. They made their way towards a corner as the first fairy mumbled something about the first's weird fantasies.

"Anyway, that intruder will probably serve as the Mistress' meal. You know how she likes the daring types who are stupid enough to raid her mansion," continued the second fairy as her friend/sister listened. "Still it's weird; usually Miss Sakuya would kill them there on the spot but to go out of her way to heal him, something must be up! I think we should investigate!"

"That's a bad idea on so many levels," muttered the first, but then her face broke into a grin, "And that's why I like it! But then our promotion... Nah, it should be fine besides... Oh maybe it is bad idea that...Shoot, something of that degree won't even... But then we'd lose our rooms and we'll be back in the dorms—"

A thud indicated an object falling to the ground, followed by a shriek that filled the hallways. The second fairy grabbed the second by her shoulders, causing the latter to drop her towels, and shook her friend with all her fairy might. "Wake up man! This is serious! It's like that covert operation we had when we raided Miss Sakuya's wardrobe! PANTIES, SIS, PANTIES!"

"And you're saying that this investigation would likely fail like that one?" asked the first fairy through her dazed state. The second fairy released her and sent a slap across her face.

With an anxious, and poorly hidden perverted intentions, Fairy number two replied with a hint of desperation in her voice, "No! And I'm saying that it's totally worth the risk! Maybe we can nab ourselves the Mistress' undergarments while we're at it! I know its suicide but it's for the greater good, sis!"

"You're not really making any sense but okay," said the first fairy, shaking her head to regain her bearings, "Maybe we should wait for our pink haired friend. What was her name? Tuna? I mean, she's supposed to be the brains of the Fairy Maid Brigade, maybe she ought to know how we're gonna start."

"We don't have time and we can't miss this opportunity! We're the only ones here and there's no one to stand in our way while we investigate! We can't have her getting in our way if we mess up! Besides, you know what Miss Sakuya said, 'No one is allowed to interact with anyone other than their partner'. Unfortunately for, 'Mackerel' was it? She was sent off alone with the intruder's stuff. And you know how she hates to be alone," said Fairy number two, "The no good well endowed fairy, getting all the cool stuff from the intruder, hmph!"

_Bingo..._

"Eh? Hey what heck is with this mist?" the first fairy came to a halt and examined the thin veil of white mist that hovered around them.

Her friend glanced back at her and slowly floated her way next to her. "Maybe it leaked from the windows and somehow got in? You know how the Mistress loves to play the overkill card that it sometimes backfires on the mansion."

The first fairy was suspicious at first before quickly dismissing it. How short their attention spans are. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Hey, maybe if Miss Sakuya is tending to the intruder, we can search her room for clues! You know her wardrobe."

The second fairy raised her eyebrows, her confused expression slowly turning into a mischievous one. "Girl, you're gonna get ourselves killed one day."

"Hey we'll regenerate," replied Fairy number one as she and her friend hi fived each other. Without another word, the two of them zipped into the corridor, the items they dropped earlier left scattered on the scarlet carpet.

The mist hung there for a few seconds as if watching them go before suddenly gathering to form the shape of a humanoid finger. Gray gave way to a brown coat, pants, blonde hair, and ash colored eyes. Soon enough, Rook was on his feet staring at the corridor in which the fairy maids had taken. He now had a target and a goal, now it was time to bust some heads.

The best he can guess is that eight minutes had gone by, so he assumed that he had enough time to retrieve his inventory from the fairy maid that had them before making his way to Remilia. That is if things went his way, but seeing that he was playing against a genius elitist of a magus and a highly egoistic mistress of fate, it meant that he was going to improvise. A lot.

He broke into a sprint while headed to the opposite direction the fairies took. Paintings and antique lighting flew by as he ran, the halls were five times larger than the last time he was here, and he certainly didn't build the roof with a height of a four storey building. The mansion was only three stories, yet the immense size of the hallways was near unbelievable. Still, despite being so high up, the golden wrought chandelier still managed to illuminate the corridors with bright golden light while the antique lightings that hung from the wall chased away the remaining shadows with radiance. This however wasn't bright enough to vanquish a vampire so all was well since it served no purpose than clearing the way.

Rook reduced his speed as he came across another corridor. Apparently, he can hear from the distance the sound of fluttering wings rebounding along the wall. Judging by the beat of the wings, the maids were coming in fast. Rook ran to the nearest wall and placed his palm on it. As if searching for something, Rook touched every surface of the wall as if searching for a switch or something. Then he remembered. He gave the wall a frustrated kick and it immediately groaned as it moved aside.

The wall managed to seal itself just in time for a trio of fairy maids chattered in hushed tones. Rook knew that using that corridor would be the end of him because of the abominable groaning of the walls. Maybe he should have applied oil in them to minimize the noise.

Nevertheless, the Human faced the darkness and plunged in without hesitation. Rook can hear his footsteps tapping against the cold gray stone, if he were outside, the noises would have alerted every fairy in the mansion, though it was good thing that he had these passage ways sound proofed. Anyhow, these passages were connected from one end to another, leading one to a completely random place from the area they came from. The mansion was already similar to a maze before the 'change' Rook noticed; he couldn't help but wonder if the mansion somehow evolved.

His thoughts aside, Rook continued to run until he reached a dead end. Rook placed a sparking palm on the wall before giving it another kick. The wall made another noise, similar to a stone scraping against stone as it moved out of the way.

Rook stepped outside once more to find himself in a hallway again. However, it seemed like the place was a whole lot different. Checking if the coast was clear, Rook then travelled to the direction on his right while the wall sealed itself once more behind him.

Ten minutes. He assumed that he would have gotten to Remilia's room by fifteen. Biting back a curse, Rook made his way towards a brown double door. Slowly, he his hand on the doorknob and peeked behind the doors. What he saw was a large array of kitchen wares and cooking utensils. A red bricked stove was lit as the sound of water met his ears. Rook dared dip his head further just to see a fairy with purple hair cleaning dirty dishes on the sink.

_Kitchen, so I'm in the west wing. Good,_ he thought before pulling his head out and glance to his right again, _I'm going straight, after that will be a fork leading back to either the entrance hall or the armoury. So I go right again, then our little fairy will be there..._

With that thought pegged in his mind, Rook began to run once more.

It was strange, how Patchouli made an effort on keeping him in and yet made no extra precautions in case he got out. Just what was she playing at, it made no sense at all. And what was with Remilia playing along with her? This was her mansion and yet why would she put this place on lock down instead of having hordes of fairies patrol the corridors. Rook lifted his head and glanced up ahead, only to will his body to explode into a fine layer of mist.

Moments later, a white haired fairy maid was looking around with a curious expression on her face. The sound of her fluttering gossamer wings bouncing off the hall. "Huh? I could've sworn I heard footsteps. Weird. Okay that's it, no more coffee during overtime..."

The fairy mumbled to herself as she went down the path Rook came from. Rook didn't want to risk another encounter, so he allowed himself to drift towards his destination in his mist form. A large white door soon came into view, and so has a pink haired fairy locking the door behind her as she turned to leave.

This fairy was roughly the same size as Daiyousei yet had longer and silkier hair with the pale shade of pink. The fairy twisted her key before pocketing it in her apron. "Just be friends~ All we got to do is just be friends~ Time to say good bye, hm, hm, hmm," she sang while heading down the hallway.

His stuff was nowhere to be seen. Meaning that he was too late. Change of plans, he had to steal the keys back, and just in time for him to turn back into his human form too. Rook felt a sharp jab of pain erupt from somewhere within him, signalling that he was on his limit with his mist form. Slowly descending to the scarlet carpet, Rook regained his human form as he casually caught with the fairy in a light jog.

"Uh excuse me can I ask a question," he asked.

The fairy spun around in alarm, but was too late when Rook cupped her mouth with his left hand while he poked her forehead with his right. He wasn't exactly rough as he did so, but he still had to send a bit of electricity into her head to knock her out. A muffled squeal and the fairy was down.

Rook caught her and lifted her like a fireman would do to a person. When he reached the armory's door, he gently placed her beside it and took the keys from her apron. Inserting the key and turning it, the Human entered through the door and into a musty old room filled with ancient tools of war.

A number of the Scarlet's treasures were placed here, ranging from war trophies, scrolls, deeds, property, weapons, and jewelleries. But what caught Rook's attention was the small assortment of items stacked in the middle of the room. He slowly went towards his items and knelt down. None of them appeared to have been tampered with, so he figured that they were safe to use. He quickly took his belt bag and wrapped it across his waist. With a click of the belt's lock, he unzipped one compartment and reached in for a vial of Earth's Blood and drank it.

Feeling the healing effects working, he then took off his coat to put on his gun holster. His dagger glowed a faint red as he grasped it. Marisa was going to kill him if he lost it. Once he was ready, he grabbed the bundle of cloth Rumia had given him earlier and placed it within his pouch before exiting the room. He still had to do something about that knocked out fairy; maybe he can hide her in there for the time—

Rook stopped on his tacks as he came face to face with a familiar silver haired woman. _Oh crap, you've got to be kidding—_

Before he can even finish the thought, Sakuya's hand reached into her pocket by instinct pulling out a golden watch. Rook's mind clicked, and caught Sakuya by surprise as his foot connected with her right hand, sending the watch flying. The Maid wasted no time countering by delivering a high kick to Rook's head. The attack missed and Rook rose to meet Sakuya's knife with his pistol.

"How. Did. You. Get. Out?" she growled as she was overcome with a monstrous strength which pushed Rook into a wall.

"I'm not about to tell you!" snapped Rook as he gave Sakuya a kick to the gut. The Maid doubled over and fell.

Rook knelt down panting, before standing up again waving the Maid's pocket watch. "Catch me if you can, meido"

Sakuya shot him a venomous glare as he ran off. But then her glare melted into a smirk as she drew a purple crystal from the folds of her skirt. "He's headed your way; I'll make sure he gets there."

_Thank you Sakuya, it means a lot to me._

"I will round up the patrols within the corridors, to make sure he arrives at the intended location. He doesn't seem to be the type to fight off large numbers of opponents."

_Make sure he doesn't escape; he has to die by my hand before Remilia gets him._

"Understood."

* * *

_Oh great, just great. Of all times I have to—ugh! Damn it all! Alright, so maybe stealth wasn't my strongest points but still! This is so damned unfair! *sigh* I had centuries to learn why life's so unfair yet the universe still manages to surprise me._

Rook's eyes opened as he let out a roar of frustration, sending a trail of sparks along the walls. For a moment, the walls seemed to have glowed blue before fading back into red. Rook caught sight of a white light on the wall and immediately went back to check on it.

_A passage. Good, this is my ticket out of here—WHOA GOD DAMN IT!_

Instead of sliding aside to let him through, the wall unceremoniously exploded in orange fire. Rook was tossed back into the opposite wall as his eyes glared at the symbol in which where his used to be. A magic circle which had the image of the sun and moon drawn across it met his gaze. It was obvious who was responsible with this.

_Finally stepping up your game? _He thought as he licked his dry lips. At the far end of the path he had come from, the sounds of shouting could be heard. They had found him. _Nice try but you'll have to do better!_

He pushed himself off the ground and resumed his escape.

...

His plan was torn and spitted on, and he had no idea how to escape from the mansion he built himself. Rook made a quick turn and found a stair case leading to the second floor. Glassed window panes raced past him as he travelled. Outside, he can see the vast expanse of the Misty Lake and the forest beyond. From there he can see the Youkai Mountains towering at the distance.

But this wasn't the time to admire the scenery. He had to move. Reaching the far end of the hall, another staircase appeared leading the way down. Behind him a horde of fluttering wings angrily made their way towards him with the intent to maim and hurt. Rook had no desire to be subjected to fairy oppression, so he leapt down the staircase four steps at a time. Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, he was met with the sight of the entrance hall.

_Wrong way,_ he thought to himself and was about to head for the staircase leading to the throne room when a pillar of orange flame roared into life forming a wall. _Crap..._

Then all of the doors were locked shut with an audible click and from out of nowhere, water began to fill the entrance hall. An invisible force knocked Rook backwards, forcing him into the water. He found out that the water was rising too fast for his taste so he immediately waded to the front door and tried to force it open.

_I could blast it open,_ he thought, _but then I'll electrocute myself. And willing my body not to release a discharge is proving to be a pain... Damn it, I'm not going to drown here... Not now._

Soon the water was up to his neck and that his feet left the ground. He began to float. The flames from the pillars bathed the hall in orange light with the waters reflecting them. The water was rising about ten inches per second from an unknown source, so Rook guessed that it was magic. He swam towards the glass windows on either side of the entrance door and punched them hard. The result was more pain for his knuckles.

Gritting his teeth, he tapped the window once more and saw the tiny ripples of purple power move.

"Oh come on!" he yelled as he kept himself afloat, "I know you hate me but this is a low blow, even for you! Get your anemic face out here so we can settle this!"

There was no response except for the sudden increase of the water entering. The water had long gone reached the pillars of fire and it seemed that the flames refused to go out even when they were underwater. That actually didn't help much since the water was starting to get warm. Now that seeing that the flames were on the stairs leading to the second floor, the entire ground floor was now a pool filled with water.

_If I don't move now I'll lose all of the remaining space I have for air,_ thought Rook, _think, the only places I can go is through the doors and if I'm ever going through one I'll have only one chance to enter it. But how?!_

The ceiling was closing in fast, he had to decide. There was only much time to resurface twice. _Yukari, this'll be a good time to bail me out. _With that final line of thought, Rook sucked in all of the air his lungs can take before diving down. Putting one arm over the other, Rook traveled to the door that was on his far right. The scenery underwater was all blue with a flash of orange from the still burning fires. He grasped at the doorknobs and pulled. As expected nothing happened. Rook decided to change tactics and shot the knob with his gun. The darts merely bounced off and slowly descended down into the deep.

Rook began to feel light headed and that his chest was tightening, it was then he decided to resurface. Gasping a lungful of air, Rook found out that the ceiling was just a few feet away. Cursing under his breath he dove once more. Using his knife would generate electricity, hastening his demise and his bullets were no use either. The door was magically locked and enhanced that it refused to break down from physical attacks.

Rook lifted his head to see that the water had filled the entire entrance hall with water. Either Rook drowned now or he'll get boiled by the heat, he'll still die.

'_Take it and throw it on the ground if you're in big trouble. I think it'll help you', _said Rumia's annoying voice. Rook blinked twice and reached into his belt bag, pulling the bundle of cloth from within. Underwater, Rook had a hard time forcing his hands to go faster when you were limited for a few seconds there until you needed to resurface. Once he had taken off the bundle's covers, he was surprised to see the small form of a human in his hands... Only that it wasn't a human but a doll.

Rook didn't have time to curse Rumia for tricking him or not, but he did have time to think, _If the Hakurei Shrine does have a god, please let this work._ He drew back his arm and threw the doll with all his might. The doll sailed from his hand, down into the door.

_**BOOM**_

The doll exploded upon impact in thick white smoke, the blast caused Rook to lose the remaining air in his lungs as he was pulled in. The water roared as it found a hole in which it can go in to, taking Rook with it. An glint of silver caught his eye as he watched it detach from his belt and disappear to god knows where. Once the Human was past the door's entrance it immediately closed itself shut, cutting the water off.

"That...Was nasty..." Rook spat out water from his mouth as he rose on all fours. His breathing was heavy as he struggled to regain his breath. Luck was at his side, yet he wondered on how long it will remain.

Rook was soaked and he felt the weight of the water pulling him down, yet he still forced himself on his feet. Leaning on the wall for support, he unsteadily made his way through the corridor in silence. _That's...Going to be the last time I... Accept anything...from that... little snitch..._ he thought as his heavy footsteps filled the hall. It didn't seem that anyone was in there with him. Everything felt detached as if his mind was still swimming.

He shook his head vigorously to get rid of the strange feeling. Once this was all over, he didn't want to drink water for the rest of the following hours. He had enough of it for one day.

Soon the smooth surface of the wall was replaced by dull hard wood with a lot of bumps. Rook pushed himself away from the wood and allowed himself to collapse on the floor. Lifting his head up to see the door, a groan escaped his lips.

_Of all places in this gods damned big mansion. Why did I end up here?! _Rook slowly stood up as he glared at the 'Under Renovations' sign of an all too familiar door.

It was the door leading to the library.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: Alrighty then._

_So I planned out to release this chapter during the weekends, but hey, I'm brimming with ideas! Can't say that I'll be able to update often as fast as my previous releases. Oh well, but life goes on, aye?_

_Now you're all wondering why I pulled an enigmatic character like Rin Satsuki into the mix, right? I have no idea, but she seems to fit Laevateinn's overall atmosphere. Assuming that I complete this series while keeping it together and putting as much common sense and logic into, I'll be able to give every single character mentioned a part of their own and their very own roles to play that will be vital to the ending._

_'Sides I like Rin. No not the cat Rin, but the Kirin Rin... Damn it Koishi, stop messing with my brain._

_Anyhow I am to admit that I am stumped at Laevateinn 16's current scene. The chapter's almost 15k and I'm expecting that no one (again) will be able to pre-read it other than myself. Oh well, more practice for me._

_Moving on, yes I'm pulling some dangerous strings here with Rin and spitting canon in the face by adding a Mama and Papa Scarlet, but once again this is fanfiction. I just hope everything turns out well in the end, hm? Hehehehehe_

_Now to end this Author's notes please feel free to rate, review, and share your thoughts. **Yes, I'm looking at you anonymous reader.**_

_Again, this was an unedited chapter, constructive criticisms are appreciated but please don't go all blaze of glory on me. I'm kinda mushy. One last thing, I'm still looking for a pre-reader who can put up with 15k word chapters._

_That's all and please enjoy Laevateinn to your heart's content. I'm gonna go back to the earlier chapters and start fixing those horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE mistakes. Gods, I look so stupid..._

_Uh yeah, heh. YAHOO~!_


	19. Chapter 12: Mind Games

****_Nicolas Notes: Ayayayayaya, I'm the fastest!_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou or any other Touhou related materials as much as I want them to be. **  
_

* * *

**{Saving game: 10/27/12}**

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******{Welcome to the Madness of Laevateinn}**

**Select Difficulty :**

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**CHAPTER 12: Mind Games**

**Year: 2005**

**10:50 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Voile the magic library, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rook has been into the Voile on a number of occasions during his last stay within the mansion. Most of the time he would enter the library to gather information on something and leave. However it was rare for him to actually interact with its inhabitants.

If memory serves right, Patchouli should have her familiar flying around placing books into the right shelf and organizing while the librarian herself locked herself up in her study, only to come out during dinner. Sadly even getting the 'Unmoving Library' to move was quite a task and would inevitably result to threatening a few books into burning before she would follow her orders to dine with the Mistress.

It wasn't like Rook always bore a grudge against the Magician. It was just on that one night he found about everything. But that was a story for another time. The matter still stands that the library had just increased in size. When Rook opened the doors, he was met with the sight of a titanic room filled with rows and rows of wooden bookshelves.

The external walls were also covered with bookshelves as high as buildings. From the ceiling, both wooden and magical platforms hung from strings reinforced by purple energy, possibly to increase their strength.

Above the shelves numerous orbs of pink lights illuminated the room the best they can, assisting the golden chandeliers Rook made himself in lighting the place up. Below and long the aisle, the floor glowed of eldritch light.

The library had gone renovations, it seemed like the sign outside was telling the truth. Rook took five steps forward and leaned on the marble railing. He was standing on a balcony with its floor draped in red carpet. At the very center of the railings an opening was made for the stairs that lead to the top of a bookshelf. The stairs were made of the same marble as the railings with angels carved on its sides.

"What... the hell..?" Rook took a step back as he took a moment to register everything he had seen.

"Beautiful isn't it?" said a soft voice behind him. Without hesitation Rook swung a fist only to succeed in denting the wall.

His fist crackling with electricity, Rook shot a venomous glare at the person beside him. Patchouli sat comfortably on her coffee brown arm chair while reading a book with no title. She took a sip of coffee from her mug without acknowledging the Human's presence except when she spoke to him.

"My, my, aren't you hot blooded?" she commented, her tone was soft and carried no hostility in it. Though Rook knew better than to fall for that, he still continued to give her a look of loathing. "It seems to me that the scenery would be complete if it didn't have your body obstructing its beauty. Such a waste of space."

"What do you want?" snarled Rook impatiently. He didn't need this; he had to get to Remilia.

"No, no, no. You mean 'what do _you_ want'? Wasn't you objective already clear before you came here or did you charge blindly into the fray once again with no real plan whatsoever?"

"Yeah, I have a plan. It involves cracking your skull and breaking your curse," replied Rook as simply as he could. He couldn't help it; his patience was wearing thin whenever he was in her presence.

"And how did that work out? Almost got you killed and drowned, got chased by fairies and an angry time stopping maid. Oh let's not forget that little brawl you had with China," Patchouli's eyes glazed over to Rook's direction. Her purple eyes meeting his gray ones. With a smirk Patchouli closed her book and set it down her lap while her tea cup hovered above right shoulder. "Face it, Chess Piece. You were doomed to fail just like with all the other plans you had in the past."

"And yet even with all of those failures, I still succeeded in bringing you into Gensokyo," said Rook with is right hand trembling at his side.

Patchouli's smug face perhaps got even smugger. She eyed his fist with bright interest before meeting his eyes once more. "So how exactly was that beneficial on your part? By making us an easier target for your schemes? By enlisting the powers and strength of the monsters that you befriended during your stay here?"

"Yes on the former but—"

"Rook you only brought yourself closer to the brink of death," cut off Patchouli, her smirk becoming an uncharacteristically yet mocking sweet smile on her face. "Remilia and I knew that the moment we landed here is that your first step was to welcome us personally. Knowing that, we took extreme measures on ensuring that you do not get out of here alive. Even if you did have outside help all of them would be rendered useless because of my wards. All knowledge is stored here, and I know exactly how to counter the Gap Demon's powers, though not forever but enough time for us to end you."

To her surprise, Rook was chuckling. She knew how this would end, and she wasn't going to like it. It was just like last time they met, it was like he always had a new trick on his sleeve every single time they met. Last time he had the last laugh, and by the gods she was not going to let him have this one.

"What are you laughing about?" she asked frowning at him, yet he only responded with a raised hand.

After a few minutes relieving himself of chuckling, Rook said, "But my dear Magician, even if what you have said is true there is still one more thing I haven't done yet."

"And that is?" questioned Patchouli, this time it was her patience that was wearing thin.

"I have yet to improvise."

And as if on cue, Patchouli's body began to blink and become transparent.

"An illusion, right? It wasn't like you had the guts to face me in the flesh anyway," Rook said with spite in his tone and a look of disgust on his face.

"Interference from another magician? Not unexpected, but still somehow impressive. This one is practically advanced in this area," Patchouli stood up and strode over to Rook, coming to a halt a few paces away from him. "I don't know who your friend is, but to counter my wards like this, I say you're in luck Chess Piece."

The Magician's image began to become even more transparent, and her voice started to slowly fade away. "How about we play a little game while you're here? If you head straight ahead while jumping from bookshelf to bookshelf you'll come across a door at the end of this room. Enter that door and it'll lead the way to me, but don't wet your panties just yet. There are two puzzles that you have to solve before facing me. Let's see if you're mind is still as sharp as it is Chess Piece. Until next time..."

With that final message, Patchouli's form was gone. Her image still burned behind Rook's eyes as he stared on the spot from where she disappeared. He then inhaled a deep breath before walking down the stairs and stepping on the colossal bookshelf.

Rook then pushed his feet from the ground and ran.

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**10:50 Post-meridian**

**Forest of Magic, Outskirts, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rin was skipping her way over logs, above rocks, past trees, and generally across the forest. She was humming herself a catchy tune that she heard from the Human Village nearby while swaying her large sleeves back and forth. She was having an exciting night, going to the new mansion that appeared over a month ago and rigging it with dolls was fun. If only she had the time to stay a bit longer she would've observed how some interesting events would have unfold.

However the threat of being part of the body count due to a freak explosion got into her deeper than she thought.

She continued humming as she went her way; her friend was not far behind judging from the rustling of rustling of bushes. Strange how her friend didn't simply wave her hand and teleport them both back home instead of going through all of this trouble with walking.

The night was young and there are plenty of places in which she can explore. And then she remembered that she was yet to have dinner. She found it weird how her friend was frantic on going to the mansion when they both knew that it was dangerous for the both of them. Al had been telling her that since that mansion got here, but to suddenly break her word for some mysterious motive. It was strange... Oh well, Rin didn't mind much, at least she got to see the mansion up close.

"Rin heads up," whispered a voice behind her, and before Rin even noticed it she has lost control of her body. The first thing she did and what any sane person would do was to struggle. It only took her a few seconds to recognize the familiar sensation tingling along her nerves.

"Hey Al, what is it now?" she hissed to the person behind her. Unfortunately when she had the chance to look back, she found no one there.

_Shrine maiden, just keep quiet and do as I say,_ said a tiny voice at the back of the girl's head. Telepathy. She hated it when Al did this; it was way too freaky seeing your body move without your consent.

As for the woman herself, she was kept herself hidden behind a tree trunk not far from Rin. Tiny nearly invisible string tied on her fingers connected themselves into the back of the younger girl's head, back, arms and legs.

_Okay here we go. Don't tell her about me or our original purpose. I will handle the talking if she ever asks you questions. Do not sputter or fumble with your words. Act as you would normally would but do not provoke her. The last thing we need is to fight her. But under the circumstances she would be likely to ignore you and head on. And please, Rin do not hum, mock, comment, threaten, or insult her because doing so will be asking for a death wish. Do I make myself clear?_

"Yes..."

_What?!_

"I mean yes ma'am"

Not soon after Rin released a sigh, a black haired girl dressed in red and white landed directly in front of her. The girl seemed to be between fourteen to sixteen years old and was a head taller than Rin, though from the looks of it was a few inches shorter than Al. She had a beautiful set of brown eyes and a pretty decent face, though the scowl that was present ruined the image.

Clumps of grass were crushed under her foot as she stomped her way towards Rin. If Al presence disappeared and her control on her body returned she would have been shaking right now. The Shrine Maiden after all had a bad reputation among youkais since there were rumours that she usually attacked them without reason. Rin felt a bead of sweat trickle down her cheek.

"Hey you, can I ask you a couple of questions?" asked the Shrine maiden with obvious edge in her voice.

"Sure, why not?" came Rin's reply, only that it wasn't entirely hers but Al's. _This is so flipping weird..._

"You aren't one of the youkais that live in that big mansion across the lake, aren't you?" said the Shrine maiden in the same tone a before.

"Um no, but I was only passing by and visiting my relatives," responded Rin.

"'Looks like I'm not going to get anything out of this one," muttered the red-white girl, ignoring that Rin was just a few steps away from her. This caused Rin an involuntary twitch.

"I, uh, beg your pardon?"

"None of your business..."

_Rude hag! Why I'm gonna punch her right here right now! _Thought Rin but Al's voice held her back.

_Rin. Heel._

"You know while I was passing by the lake's shore, I noticed something strange going on in the island," said Rin, somehow catching the miko's attention. "There were explosions and loud bangs so I went to see what was happening. I know what you're thinking that it was stupid and stuff, but hey I was curious. And then it got interesting."

With one deliberate movement the Shrine maiden had the tip of her gohei under Rin's neck while her left hand held a fistful of ofudas. "Get to the point if you have anything to say."

"A sign went up at the very top of the mansion, possibly some kind of doom's day ritual," guessed Rin as badly as she can while shrugging her shoulders. "It was like a web made by a spider covering the mansion's roof with orange lines. But that's only what was happening in the air. The other interesting thing was on the ground."

"Tell me; was a black-white witch there?" asked the Shrine maiden lowering her gohei.

"No, but when I arrived at the entrance there was a woman clad in green knocked out cold," Rin lied more convincingly than she could by herself. Without another word, the Shrine maiden kicked off the ground and flew as fast as she to the lake's direction.

Rin's body relaxed as she watched her fly away and as Al's control disappeared. The girl fell on her butt, staring at the path the Shrine maiden took. The woman casually walked to her side and gave her a pat on the head. "Good job."

"Please," whimpered Rin with a look of relief on her face, "Never ever make me do something as crazy as that again."

"I'll consider it..." replied the woman without a second thought.

Rin sat there for a few moments before sprawling after her companion, "Hey wait for me~!"

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**11:13 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Voile the magic library, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rook leapt of a bookshelf only to land on the next one. Exhaling his breath, he lifted his head up and broke into a sprint, his boots thundering with every step. Once Rook reached the far end of his shelf, he kicked the wood once more and leapt. But this time there wasn't another shelf to catch him, obviously because he just reached the center of the library. A bare red carpeted space that housed stacks of books around the edges and with nothing but a single desk at the very middle. Rook's body dissolved into fine mist as he fell; only transforming himself back as he met with the ground.

"This place is huge..." Rook commented, turning his head left to right. "Hmph, maybe it wouldn't hurt poking around for a bit."

Apparently, the lonely desk caught his eye causing him to approach it. On the desk were a dead lamp and a cup filled fountain pens. This was Patchouli's library, strange how she left it unguarded while her most hated enemy was within. Wouldn't setting up a death trap or two be practical? Circling around the desk, Rook placed a hand around a drawer's knob and drew it.

Inside it was a crystal, smooth and hard, small enough to fit Rook's palm.

The Human closed his eyes and burrowed deep into his memories.

_Hey Rook look! Something grew on my wings!_

_Huh? Weird, your wings are made entirely of metal. There's no way you'd be able to grow this. Did you use magic?_

_No I didn't! But... It looks so pretty. Hey can we ask Patchy if she can have a look?_

_Heh, I don't see why not._

The memory slowly faded into gray ripples and eventually into black. Rook opened his eyes to find his hand clenched around the crystal. "This was Flandre's... How did she get it?" he whispered, not noticing the shadow enveloping his body.

Rook tensed and dove to his right. Rolling into a kneeling position, Rook gritted his teeth at the sight of a hostile. Just beside the broken remains of the wooden desk was a twelve foot tall goliath made entirely out of pure energy. It took the shape of a stocky looking humanoid with large arms and short legs. Its build indicated that it relied mostly on its strength to win battles, and that it lacked quite a lot of things in the speed department.

It had no head, and seemed to be hunched back as it stood. Even then, it was much taller than Rook wanted to be. The energy golem drew its fist from the crater it had made and went to face Rook. With a soundless roar, the golem rushed to assault him. Rook side stepped a clumsy fist that shattered the floor, only to step on the offending fist causing the Human to be launched into the air using the momentum as the golem drew its hand up.

Rook allowed gravity to do its job giving the golem a fist from above as he came down. The golem stumbled back as Rook landed on his feet, only to counter by sweeping its massive arm across the air. The Human's torso met with the golem's wrist, sending him rolling till he skidded to a stop.

_You're pissing me off, _thought Rook only to notice something he hasn't before. At the golem's feet was Flandre's crystal, Rook must have dropped it when he got hit.

Rook charged the golem barehanded. _Once I close in, he's going to make a wild grab in order to crush me. But before he does I would have jumped over his hand and slid between his legs, grabbing the crystal while I'm at it. After that its a full lightning show behind his back._

With those thoughts in his mind, he proceeded to perform it. Timing the golem's hand just right, Rook kicked off its fist and diving below its legs, grabbing a tiny glint on the floor as he passed between the golem's feet. Once he was at the golem's back, a light flashed at the very center of the library.

Rook slowly got up to his feet with his left palm still smoking. A few feet away was the golem, still standing strong and high.

"Oh... It's immortal" he whispered. And as if on cue, the golem raised its arms in the air as if to utter a roar.

With the crystal hidden in his pocket, Rook began to run.

* * *

In a normal library, things were supposed to be... normal. True it should be filled with vast amounts of books, and strict librarians, though the library Rook was currently in was anything but normal. Yes, this library had more books than five national libraries from four different countries all over the world had and it also had a cranky librarian with the intent of killing him who off handily set off a very large sentinel after him all over the place, but aside from those, what difference it would have with a 'normal' library?

Rook had his fair share of the strange, weird, and plain insane predicaments to stop caring about those sorts of things. He was even one of those strange things. A young man stuck the way he is because of two mad women made him eternally young on whim. Now isn't that just grand?

Most people would have considered it a blessing, a gift that he should be thankful for. But on the other hand, such gifts came with a Price. One example of such a price is being chased by a ten ton goliath, which if given a voice, would be screaming bloody murder.

Rook now found himself blasting his way through bookshelf to bookshelf, carving out a path fit for his size. Behind him was a large Hostile made out of purple energy, making much larger holes with its sheer brute strength. Rook wasn't even sure if he was going the right way. Everything was the same. The Magician's words told him that the door he should be heading for was at the far end of the library.

He was at the balcony at that time, so if he were to spot where the balcony was facing then things would be a whole lot easier.

Making a sharp turn between the aisles, Rook turned himself into mist and floated his way to the very top of the shelves. Returning into humanity once more, Rook found the balcony far off west. This meant that he would go for the opposite direction, forward if he based it off from where he was standing.

The colossal shelf began to shake and at its feet was the golem, pushing the shelf with all its might.

It was then the Human began to feel that he was slowly moving forward. "Oh come on! When will you give up?!" he yelled to the golem, causing it to redouble its efforts in making him fall. The shelf began to lean forward. Rook leapt to the next shelf only for it to be hit by the one from which he came from.

Rook jumped again. Not long after he began jumping, he already cleared three shelves while the rest collapsed into giant dominoes. Shelves fell over each other as a single figure leapt over the ones that hadn't fallen yet. Rook had to double time, using the same foot in which he landed on to kick off, he cleared the shelves one leg at time. As tiring as it was, he couldn't afford to lose ground now. The sounds of wood crashing against each other distracted him, almost breaking his rhythm yet he held on.

Once he had reached the near end of the room, Rook made a wild dash along the shelf in which he landed on, jumping off just in time for it to collapse. Rook crashed against the side of his new shelf with his torso first. He gripped the sides of the shelf as he clung for dear life, causing a few books to fall into the wreckage below him. With a grunt he pulled himself up and surveyed the damage.

Patchouli was going to be pissed, that single thought was enough to make him smile.

The smile however didn't last when he saw something wading across the debris and books. Turning his head around, he ran along the shelf's roof to jump for another one. He spotted another balcony and door just beyond it. Leaping for the last time from his second shelf and on top of the third, Rook began making short jumps as he did a while back in the dominoes.

Stepping on the marble stairs, Rook jogged up and went to reach out for the door's handle. And then the balcony disappeared.

Had he not opened the door before the floor dissolved into nothing, Rook might have not hung on at pathway's edge. Rook glanced down and saw that the golem was there, waiting for him to fall...

Exhaling a shaky breath, he began to pull himself up. His legs and arms were sore, yet it didn't compare with the buzzing he had on his head. Maybe it was just fatigue building up with all of those close calls. At least he was safe, for now. He leaned with his back against the wall and sighed. Reaching in his pocket, he took out the tiny crystal he had found in the desk.

Because of one unfortunate event, Flandre lost her wings. Rook was dead set on killing the bastards who took them, but instead the vampire only asked him to make her new ones. And so, with Remilia's consent, he went out to make a pair. Rook conversed with a dragon and struck a deal with it. Had Hong not interfered, Rook would have been killed. In the end the dragon gave him permission to take the treasures he desired. The rest was history.

However, a few years later something strange happened. A tiny crystal, different from those that hung before it, grew on one of the branches on Flandre's wings. Because of its unexplained existence and uniqueness, Flandre took care of it in hopes that it will soon one day grow as big as the others.

Rook blinked once and glanced down on his palm. The crystal was there, and it had yet to grow, not that it will ever will.

He slowly got up to his feet while looking at the opposite end of the passage he was in. Leaving the door he came in behind, he reached out for the second door and pulled the handle.

Rook was then met with another bizarre form of the library. The room was oval shaped and didn't seem to be longer than fifteen meters. The height however seemed to reach up to a hundred feet, it was almost like being within a stone watch tower. Then again, instead of having stones for walls, this room had books sitting within a shelf that took the form of the walls. There was a spiral stair case leading the way up, and on the way there were a series of doors standing along the books.

Walking to the center of the room and turning around in a three hundred and sixty degree angle to get a better view of his surroundings. Eight doors with seven different colours, two doors having the exact the same one.

"I wonder where those will lead me," whispered Rook as he gazed at the very top of the room where the final door stood. "One way out and it's through these... The Magician said that she had two puzzles for me to solve. This is the first... Doors..."

The colours of each door leading the way up go this way: Purple, orange, yellow, light blue, light green, pink, blue, and light blue again.

Rook moved towards the first door and gave it a quick look. It was a simple door painted purple; save for the silver doorknob, there wasn't actually anything noteworthy about it. He gazed at it for a few seconds before extending a hand to open it.

The moment his hand touched the knob, pain exploded all around his head.

"**DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?! ROOK! ROOK!"**

And then it was gone. He then realized that he was on his knees, breathing hard while sweat formed on his brows. It was like he was being beaten senseless with a sledgehammer while his skull refused to crack, giving him front row seats to a world of pain. Rook suppressed a groan and held his throbbing head as he stood up. Without a second thought, he wrenched the door open and dove inside only to find himself... Back at the entrance?

Rook glanced at the door that he came through and realized that they were the same double doors he used to enter the room. A loop? Or maybe the door had some kind of portal that led him back? Rook approached the door once more to try it out. This time, he braced his mind before grabbing the door. To his relief there was no screaming anymore, no more pain.

"That voice... Why does it seem so familiar?" he whispered, twisting the knob and opening the door. In his pain filled state earlier he didn't as much notice the black liquid like substance behind it before diving in. It was like melted steel, only darker. An experimental tap resulted into tiny ripples to go to all sides. Slowly and gently, he began to push his arm inside, followed by his body. For a few seconds, the world was black until he stepped into the room once more.

"Okay, this is new..." Rook looked around him once more and found that nothing has changed. "Maybe the doors lead to different places?"

He began climb the staircase, making his way towards the next door. Rook placed a hand on the knob and pain filled his skull once again.

**"Out of my way Reimu, let me kill him! I'll kill him for what he's done! I'LL MAKE HIM PAY; I'LL MAKE THIS DAMN BASTARD PAY FOR WHAT HE DID!"**

Rook felt sick. He struggled to keep what little food was left in his stomach as he leaned against the door's frame. Now that he recognized. Lifting his hands to his face, he found out that they were trembling. He guessed that if he had a mirror at hand, he probably looked ghost white. The throbbing in his head grew stronger, the pain accompanied by the voice was worst than before. It was probably the Magician's sick way of mentally torturing him. Still, the voices and pain didn't help him in the slightest into solving this puzzle.

He sucked in a lungful of air before reaching for the handle once again. He wasn't the least surprised to see the black substance staring back at him. With a flat gaze, he could tell what was going to happen next, he stepped through the door.

Now it was the time to stop and think. With every door he opened, Rook was always led back to the starting point via black alien like substances. And it was obvious enough that the only way out was one of those doors. Trying them all out was out of the question since his mind will break if it somehow continued, and who knows what will happen if he opened all of the doors without finding the real one.

The voices could act as his clue but they were too vague to make anything out. One thing's for sure is that those were memories in him, and those were the words of the people he had done wrong. The doors and the voices must make some kind of connection, but how? This wasn't as simple as going to point B from point A like a stroll in the park.

Rook set his back against the wall and slid down to a sitting position.

"Hold on a second..." standing up, Rook made his way towards the door at the foot of the stairs. It was light green.

He placed a hand on the knob and nothing happened. It seemed like no voices emerged if he hasn't touched a new door or anything, so door's in which he has gone through before no longer hurt him. Opening the door, Rook stepped into it for the final time before returning at his starting point. The colors of the doors were still the same, but something else was happening. Rook glared at the light green door at the foot of the stairs, only to witness that it was slowly turning into orange.

"That bitch, the doors are shifting. No, the colors are," Rook gritted his teeth and went for the second door which was now painted purple. He grabbed the knob and entered. Once he was back at the entrance he ran for the door at the foot of the stairs and entered.

This continued for several minutes until he finally tired out, gasping for breath while sitting down. "Time... There's a time set for the colors to change... Max is... fifteen seconds."

But what was the time limit for? Unless it required some kind of skill or ability to be set against. Either Stamina, speed, or endurance. That was all he can think up at the moment. Breathing deeply once more, Rook focused his gaze at the first door which now colored itself light blue. Rook got up to his feet to try entering the door again. He was missing something; he just didn't know what it was. Does he need to enter through all the doors under fifteen seconds? If so, in what order?

And then it clicked. Puzzles tend to be that way, if one method didn't work; all you have to do is try again and again till the lock opens. Everything has a pattern, now all he had to do was to find it, but how?

He pulled the handle and opened the door, this time something was different. One was that a piece of paper flew into Rook's feet, and the second was that instead of the black liquid metal meeting him the substance somehow adopted the color of the door. Rook knelt down to pick up the paper and read it.

_The entrance is the exit. Solve this and the wings of realization will bless you._

Though it didn't help much, it gave him something to think about. "'The entrance is the exit?' Does that even make any...sense...?" Rook lifted his head up and gazed at the light blue liquid. "So if this door is the entrance..." Rook turned his head at the other light blue door's direction, "Then that's the exit..."

Rook slammed the door in front of him shut and climbed the stairs to the fifth door just ahead the pink one. This was the way out!

Or so he thought. The moment he placed his hand on the door knob it wasn't just voices and pain that met him this time, but Flandre herself.

The girl extended her arm and screamed, **"HELP ME!"**

Rook saw himself reach for her and grasp her hand to pull her away from whatever was dragging her back. And then with a sickening pop, Rook's arm was on the floor as he sported a bloody stump on his shoulder. Flandre gave him a mischievous look as she grabbed him by his other arm and tore it off its socket. **"Oops..."**

The throbbing in his head along with the loss of his arms and the feeling of being drained of his blood clouded Rook's vision in a red haze. He made an attempt to get away from her but found that his back was against the staircase's railings. Behind the little vampire her wings flapped in anticipation, making a jingling sound as a result.

Flandre pushed him and he fell. It wasn't a long fall since Rook hit the ground a second later, groaning in pain both physical and mentally. He shook his head and found out that his arms were back, looking up he saw no signs of Flandre ever being there. All that was left was a door that's left open.

"Light blue, blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow, light green, and light blue... The entrance is the exit, the _wings_ of realization will bless me," he whispered as everything fell into place, "Did she really wait for me to go for three tries or was it just dumb luck? Nevertheless, I've got to thank that last illusion of hers..."

Rook winced as he stared up at the doors again. "The colors of Flan's wings..."

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**11:27 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Border, Gensokyo**

* * *

Reimu flew like a bullet over the Misty Lake. If it was true that the annoying Gate Guard was beaten up by someone who went before her then it would have saved her all sorts of trouble. Mainly was because she didn't have to waste her energy in fighting someone near undefeatable. It was her first time to actually put the Spellcard system to the test and was actually taken by surprise on how it actually worked. It took Reimu five tries till she got the hang of it, and that was all while fighting the green clad guard. Some creator she was, not even knowing her own system.

Still she had to be grateful. If it weren't for the Spell cards and Danmaku she'd be dead by now since that youkai was really strong, facing it without the aid of the system was nothing short of suicide. It's been weeks and she wanted this incident over with. She cursed herself for being overconfident, she cursed this incident for making the air so cold, she cursed the culprit for making the day into night and now she didn't even know when sleep and wake up! Having an ancient turtle as an alarm clock had its drawbacks.

A few moments after clearing the lake, Reimu arrived at the island on where the mansion stood. She flew over the rotting carcass of the poor saps that went toe to toe with the residents of the mansion and died. True they had strength in numbers but they lacked strategy. And not everyone was reached by the System. It was an option whenever two sides do battle.

They could either choose to duel with Danmaku or fight to the death with their powers. Reimu's presence automatically enforces non-fatal duels if she ever got into a fight. She didn't understand how exactly, but it had something to do with the barrier protecting her if Genji's words were to be trusted.

Flying low and through the forest, Reimu wasn't surprised to see the dense mist in which she usually met disappear. The Guard's defeat must have cleared the path. After gliding along the trees, the Shrine maiden has reached the gate. There she found a tall red haired woman being tended for by a girl in a black outfit. The woman seemed to be knocked out cold, while a girl sat beside her patching up her wounds with plants nearby.

The girl noticed the tap of Reimu's feet as the Shrine maiden landed. Reimu had a scowl on her face yet made no hostile actions towards the girl.

"What happened to her?" she inquired as she examined the prone woman's form.

"Knocked out cold as you can see," replied the blonde little girl as she covered a bruise on the woman's cheek with a leaf.

"Did you do this?"

"Nope"

"Then who did?" said Reimu with an obvious edge in her voice.

"Idiot with blonde hair and threw electricity. I suppose you know him," said the little girl in the same flat tone.

Reimu froze at that. She hoped it wasn't who she thought it was. Nevertheless, Reimu gripped her gohei and marched up to the gate.

"Bad idea."

"Excuse me?" Reimu turned around shot the little girl a glare, which was returned with a bored gaze and a yawn. The girl revealed a set of sharp teeth from both top and bottom, clearly indicating that she wasn't what she seemed to appear.

"I smell a person behind that door, and she has some rather sharp things in her hand. So unless you're immune to sharp objects, I suggest for you to go back to your little home and sit this one out."

"Are you, a youkai... telling me, a Shrine maiden to do exactly as you say?" Reimu's glare turned into a look of utter disbelief.

It took the girl a few moments to answer since she was busy picking her ear, "Mhmm, yup. Something to that degree."

"Weirdo..." Reimu finally said while shaking her head.

"Hey! Who are you calling a weirdo?!" snapped the girl while stomping her feet. Reimu only ignored her and flew over the gate. The girl glared at her and went back to tending the woman's bruises, "You better hurry. I don't think that idiot will last longer than he should."

Reimu failed to hear her words since she was already out of earshot. She turned her head left to right as she observed the well tended gardens and healthy roses that grew there. True enough, this was the mist's source seeing that it was being released through the very few windows that mansion had. Just above the roof, strange orange lights hovered in the air like some kind of dome. It seems like the girl she spoke to earlier was right.

The lawn was most certainly wider than what her entire shrine could cover. Reimu landed just in front of the front door and looked downwards as her feet came in contact with something wet. Water was seeping from below the mansion's doors.

"I wonder what these lunatics are up to," she muttered, placing a hand on the door and pushing it forward.

The first thing she noticed was a maid dressed in an odd fashion. She figured it was a maid because of the white headband on the woman's head. The second thing that she noticed was that the floors, the walls, and perhaps almost everything was soaking wet. Reimu didn't even want to ask what happened here. And as for the third thing that she noticed, was a shiny golden pocket watch lying on the floor.

At first the maid didn't seem to pay Reimu any mind the moment she burst from the door. It was only when the maid had retrieved the pocket watch did she notice Reimu.

"My apologies for a guest to witness the mansion in such as state, there has been a few problems with the previous guest that has entered our doors," the silver haired maid did a curtsy before continuing, "On behalf of the Mistress of the house, I welcome you to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Miss...?"

"Hakurei, Hakurei Reimu. Resident Shrine Maiden of Paradise, and the person that's going to kick your ass up and down this place," introduced Reimu shooting the maid with a harsh glare.

"Miss Hakurei then. I am the Chief of maid of the house, Izayoi Sakuya. A pleasure to meet you," said the maid with another curtsy.

Reimu held back a snort and said, "Can't say I feel the same. So, is your Mistress the one responsible for this incident?"

"Why yes, the beautiful mist is her doing. You see, my Mistress is very unique girl. She couldn't stand seeing the sun ruining the beauty of the landscape, so in its place, she simply covered the sky so that she would be able to stroll around admiring nature's gifts," explained the maid with a smile. Though Reimu could see that it was fake.

"A load of bull if you ask me," said Reimu as she pointed her gohei at the maid, "Look, if you don't mind I'll be having a bit of chat with your Mistress. So if I were you I'll be hiding somewhere hard and durable until the explosions die down."

Sakuya didn't respond immediately to that. Instead she waited for a couple of minutes to pass, much to Reimu's displeasure, before she said, "Oh, is that so? Well, I'm sorry if I wasted your..._Time..."_

At the last word, Sakuya lifted her head to reveal two scarlet eyes staring into Reimu's brown ones. A smile on her face, six magic circles hovered in the air behind the maid as she held her golden pocket watch near her lips. Reimu summoned a fistful of ofudas before charging. She had the feeling that this was going to be a sucky night.

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**11:27 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Voile the magic library, Gensokyo**

* * *

_This sucks..._

Rook wrenched the light blue door open before throwing himself inside. He appeared back at the entrance and wasted no time sprinting all the way up to the next door. He passed by the pink and orange door and reached for the blue door. Upon entering, he repeated his sprint at the bottom of the stairs all the way up to the purple. These actions repeated until Rook was panting as he reached for the final light blue door.

And then the doors switched.

Rook didn't have enough strength to prevent himself from crashing into the orange door. Pain found their way into his skull and filled his brain. Rook collapsed on the stairs as he clutched his head in an attempt to block out the pain. In his mind, he can hear the voices again.

"**HE'S ONE OF THEM! HE'S BETRAYED US, KILL HI—"**

"**Mason, stop! Don't kill the humans! Leave them be and get out now!"**

"I'm not leaving you behind!" shouted Rook, or at least he heard his own voice shout. The images were blurry, yet he knew he was supposed to remember them. If it weren't for the pain they would have been as clear as day.

"**BURN THE BLASPHEMERS! LEAVE NONE OF THEM ALIVE!"**

"**Mason, NO!"**

A thunderclap rung Rook's ears and it was over. With a grunt of annoyance, he got up and went back at the foot of the stairs. This was getting him nowhere. Every time he fails to enter the doors all at once in fifteen seconds they shift their colors. Every time he touches the wrong door with the wrong color, a royal mind screw invades him.

He leaned against the light blue door and opened it once more. "One more time, go!"

_Fifteen..._

_Fourteen..._

Rook burst from the entrance and shot a lightning bolt from his right palm, using the recoil as a boost. He crashed against the blue door and went inside. Once he was back, he broke into a sprint as he headed for the second door near the foot of the stairs. He grabbed the handle of the purple door and went inside.

_Thirteen..._

_Twelve..._

_Eleven..._

_Ten..._

Rook shot another bolt on the ground and blasted his way up to the second to the last door: The pink one. Rook landed in heap yet lunged for the handle and dove inside. Again he was at the entrance and forced his legs to climb the stairs to the next door.

_Nine..._

_Eight..._

"CHECKMATE!" he roared and with a mighty kick sent to the ground, Rook was in the air. Another door entered, he wasted no time climbing the stairs and leapt for the walls. He kicked and launched himself from them similar to that of a bouncing ball, destroying books in the process. He reached the yellow door as two seconds passed.

_Seven..._

_Six..._

Rook ran up a wall and launched himself from it. He grabbed hold of the stair's railings and pulled himself up, the light green door before him. Grabbing the handle, he went inside slamming the door behind him. The last door was at the very top, he had to make it.

_Five..._

_Four..._

He cleared the first three doors at the side of the stairs.

_Three..._

_Two..._

Four doors, now for the last one. Rook reached for the handle.

_One..._

Wrenched it open and pulled himself in. Rook landed in a heap on the stone cold floor. He pushed himself off the ground and looked at the door behind him, it shined a blinding bright color for a few seconds before cracks appeared, eventually breaking down into nothing. He was out of breath, and he had to rely on his stupid skill to clear that one. Dumb luck, the lot of it. He glared at the shattered door, now a blank wall had replaced it, and slowly gut up as he approached yet another door.

This one was pure white with a golden handle. Felling exhausted from the last puzzle, he carelessly placed a hand on the knob.

Rook swore loudly as the pain stabbed him in head once more and hopefully for the final time. This time it was ten times worst, he was hearing voices, of those he had hurt, those he had killed, murdered in the past. He can see it. He can see that night, that one night where everything ended. He saw himself lying on the floor, a hand outstretched at a chained Flandre.

She was different, insane; she was crying tears of blood as her teeth turned into jagged spikes. She was undergoing a horrible transformation and it was only the purple chains that kept her from doing so.

The image turned static for a moment before focusing once more. Hong had her stomach open as she lay unconscious with her back against a wall. A few feet away from her was Remilia, having lost her left arm and foot, she was bleeding badly.

The mansion was shaking, the walls were cracking as debris came falling. Everything was red, the crimson madness seeping from the young vampire's skin as vermilion electricity arced around her. Rook then saw Patchouli step into view. Her lips moved yet no sound emerged. Everything was buzzing.

It ended.

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**11:40 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Entrance Hall, Gensokyo**

* * *

Sakuya leapt into the air throwing three blue daggers before disappearing. A second flew and she appeared with hundreds of knives raining downwards. Reimu slid on the floor as she swung her gohei in a wide arc, knocking knives out of the air. She kicked off the ground and flew towards a wall only to rebound off it as she went straight for Sakuya. The maid flew backwards, sending knife after knife towards the Shrine maiden. Reimu retaliated by sending ofudas and needles flying to Sakuya. Needles and knives met in the air and many of them clattered harmlessly to the floor.

With three knives between her fingers, Sakuya raised her pocket watch and disappeared. Reimu came to a halt in mid-air as she searched the room for her opponent.

Knives began to appear in large numbers all around Reimu all while heading straight for her. The Shrine maiden smirked and quickly shot off into a gap she spotted between the knives. Travelling safely through the gap, Reimu unleashed a volley of needles from her sleeves forcing Sakuya to roll in mid-air before answering with her knives.

Backing away quickly from the line of fire, Sakuya drew her spellcard and declared, "Illusion Existence~ Clock Corpse!"

Reimu's eyes narrowed and continued to plunge forward as a curtain of blue daggers flew for her. The Shrine maiden allowed the daggers to follow her before with a sudden burst of speed gave her the chance of bypassing them with the opening they made. The trick was to make the daggers as dense as possible and having them follow her upon release; once they close in she'll head for the other direction and pass there.

Time stops once more and a new curtain of blades homed for the Shrine maiden's heart. Reimu's smirk turned into a full grin as she drew a spellcard and declared, "Jewel Sign~ Concealed Orbs of Light!"

Three large Yin-Yang orbs around her and bounced their way to the front, clearing the air of the curtain of knives. Sakuya didn't seemed to be impressed by this and disappeared once more, however the moment she unfroze time, she realized that Reimu still had a trick up her detached sleeve. The Shrine maiden struck a bouncing orb with her gohei, causing the ball to rebound n the wall and narrowly missed Sakuya. Reimu struck another orb and it too bounced all over the room. With two orbs bouncing all around her, Sakuya didn't have much concentration in firing back, causing her knives to decrease in numbers.

"Here, a welcome gift from Gensokyo!" said Reimu as she struck the third orb with all her might and delivering it towards the maid.

The orb was an inch away before Sakuya disappeared again. Reimu cursed under her breath as the maid appeared above her, four knives in each hand. Sakuya threw her knives at Reimu, to her surprise it was the Shrine maiden's turn to disappear. Reimu exited through a rift while firing rapid needles in a wide arc, hitting their mark on the shoulder, left arm and right foot.

Sakuya gritted her teeth and spun in the air, releasing an explosion of red, blue, and green knives all around her. The Spellcard she activated earlier destroyed the moment she was hit. Reimu grazed a couple of knives while being cut by several more. She was hurt yet she fought the barrage and replied with a volley of her own needles.

Sakuya gripped a blue knife and slashed the air, intent on sending needles away from her. Once she saw that there weren't any follow ups, she threw her knife at Reimu which slowly multiplied by the second passing by until there were multitudes of them. The Hakurei Miko pointed her gohei in front of her and muttered a small prayer. A large golden shield burst to life and blocked every single knife headed for Reimu.

Sakuya's crimson eyes burned as she drew another spellcard from her pocket, "Silver sign~ Silver bound!"

A circle of black handled knives spread from all angles surrounding Sakuya. The knives bounced along the walls into random directions. Slow they may be but they made up for their sheer numbers. Reimu dodged, rolled and zigzagged through the knives. Just as she was about to break through the storm of silver, she heard Sakuya's voice from the other side of the curtain.

"Light Speed~ C. Ricochet!"

Sakuya hovered a few feet away from her as purple flashes began to fill the room. Reimu turned her head from left to right as she followed the sound of metal clashing against stone around her. Then the clashing ceased and Reimu could hear the sound of something fast flying towards her. She leaned left as a knife passed through her hair, sending strands of it into the air. Reimu spun to her left and swung her gohei. Unfortunately, the swing that was meant for the knife missed and the blade dug into her right shoulder.

Reimu gritted her teeth and pulled the knife out. The blade was made from Danmaku, so it left no wound behind. Still, the hit hurt as if she was stabbed with a real knife. And to think there were a mass of them; Reimu knew she was in a real pain by then. She waved her right hand in a wide arc, summoning eight glowing paper charms in front of her.

Sakuya stretched her arms on either side of her followed by a flurry of knives flying out of two magic circles. With single command, both combatants sent their bullets to each other. The knives into the air leaving behind them a bright trail of blue light while the flying ofudas left behind them lines of red. Charms met with blade and they exploded in an earth shattering force. Sakuya wasted no time charging into the aftermath and summoning wave after waves of knives.

Reimu had summoned at her side her Yin-Yang orbs which peppered Sakuya with needles in return. The maid and miko exchanged blasts, circling in the air above the entrance hall. The walls, floor, decorations, and ceiling littered with knives, needles, and paper charms. The air exploded whenever a charm and knife came in contact yet the two locked themselves in a desperate struggle.

Reimu twisted in the air to avoid an incoming knife and decided to change tactics by switching shots. Raising her hands in a deliberate movement, she summoned two large charms the size of a wheel and delivered them to Sakuya. The maid flew forward, looping in the air to dodge the first amulet while grazing the second. When she was near enough she stopped time and resumed it, only to hail Reimu with a volley of knives.

The Shrine maiden danced in the air to evade, entering a gap large enough for her body to fit before tossing a paper charm into the air. Sakuya's crimson eyes flashed and answered with a black hilted knife.

The walls shook as it witnessed the explosion erupt.

Sakuya shielded her eyes from the light of the blast, only to stare wide eyed at the Shrine maiden. With a smirk, Reimu brought her spellcard into the air to declare it, "Divine Spirit~ Fantasy Seal!"

A number of large multi-colored orbs circled Reimu for a few moments while her Yin-Yang orbs spewed ofudas on every direction, caging Sakuya in. With nowhere to run, Sakuya reached for her pocket watch in her pocket. A look of disappointment appeared on her face as she noticed that the hand of the clock was trembling while pointing at twelve.

A sigh escaped the maid's lips as she watched the orbs release and fly towards her.

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**11:40 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Voile the magic library, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rook's consciousness returned along with the feeling of his entire body, mind, and soul aching horribly. _Get up..._ He thought as he commanded his arms to push himself from the ground while his knees helped him stand. When he was upright, he leaned against the wall for support. He felt drained and he still hasn't faced Patchouli yet. He gritted his teeth and limped forward. Putting one foot ahead of the other, Rook approached the white door. He twisted the knob and pushed the door.

_Walk... Walk damn it..._ Rook entered the next room, his ragged breathing echoing against its walls.

He leaned against the door frame and surveyed his surroundings. Rook found himself in a much smaller room compared to the grand interior of the last one. This one appeared to be much simpler and was decorated only by a single long violet carpet between eight ivory pillars leading to a blank wall. A dead end.

Between the pillars floated six purple crystals providing light to the room, it almost appeared eerie and beautiful at the same time. With a grunt, Rook slowly made his way through the room while limping. He winced at every step and flinched at the tiniest noises which were his footsteps, those constant mental tortures has done something to him and he can't think straight with his head throbbing so hard. To engage whatever Patchouli had in store for him was nothing short of suicide, yet his mind was fixed on the sole purpose of breaking through every obstacle set upon him.

_Not... the time... for resting..._ he whispered in his mind, _I need to hurry..._

His hand reached for the zipper of his belt bag on instinct yet he stopped himself. Wasting a vial now won't do him any good; he had to save them for later. Soon enough he arrived at the blank wall and fell unto all fours, breathing laboriously as if he just ran a thousand miles. Shaking his head, Rook slowly rose to his feet and placed his palm on the wall.

A faint humming sounded from behind the wall, a cue for a large purple magic circle to form in mid-air. The Human glared at the circle as he put some space between him and it, examining it for any clever traps. A few seconds passed and words began to etch themselves into the circle, using purple flames as ink.

**Hello Rook...**

"Patchouli," growled the Human as he watched the next words being written down.

**Congratulations on making it this far. I would have never expected you to get past the golem nor solve your way through those doors. Are you ready for the final game?**

"Cut the crap and face me yourself!" snapped Rook, balling his hands into fists.

**In due time, after all why not provide me with more entertainment? You make out to be a good circus performer.**

"I don't have time for games," growled the Human, "And even if I did I would've beaten you so hard that you'll be eating your own books."

**Something in your tone tells me to be afraid, no matter it's probably nothing...Hmm, seems like my puzzles aren't as hard as I thought them to be.**

"You're getting rusty," said Rook with a smirk.

**Maybe, but so are you. You're powers and brain cells are diminishing as we speak. I mean, the doors were merely color coded with Flandre's wings and yet it still took you awhile before you realized it.**

**How shameful Rook, you're supposed to be better than this.**

Rook said nothing and continued to stare down at the flaming words.

**Well, it seems like we've chatted enough. How about I give you the final obstacle now? You're not walking out of this mansion alive, Rook. Not under my watch you won't.**

"I'd like to see you try," taunted Rook with a scowl.

**Oh I will... I'm going to kill you Rook.**

"I'm ready," said Rook, standing up a bit straighter, "Show me your stupid puzzle and I'll solve it!" For ten seconds the flaming words remained still, Rook waited patiently just as words began to appear on the circle once more. He took a step closer so that he can see them a bit more clearly.

**Solve my riddles and you'll be able to advance to my study.**

_**Who am I?  
As flighty and evasive as a fly  
Red or blue either path I will choose  
Come on now, gather all the clues**_

_**Time reversed, I was once a simple man  
With the job of harvesting flaks  
Time advanced I am now monster  
Twister of words and murders rivalling Jack's**_

_**In my throne room where I am a god  
I stare at my hands untainted by blood  
My victim before me, an innocent named George  
Raising my weapon, gore spatters the forge**_

_**As a monster I live, a demon I die  
Yet still I wonder who am I?**_

Rook had to bite his tongue from uttering his own name, there was the chance of Patchouli implying the riddle to him as the 'monster' but it was clear that it wasn't him since he had no 'throne room where he was a god'. It could only mean that she was talking about something entirely different, but the question was what? His gray eyes ran through the riddle once more and began to think. Thinking that it was about him or their little feud would be suicide, Patchouli was smarter than that, and she wouldn't leave an answer so obvious.

_Untainted by blood, so something pure? But how could be pure if it was a monster?_ He wondered, wincing at the pain that shot up on his skull. _'Twister of words and murders rivalling Jack's'. Jack the murderer. _The image of Sakuya's irritated face appeared in his mind that time he mentioned 'Whitechapel', _Jack the Ripper? So this person has more kills than mass murderer. An executioner might make sense but no that would contradict with the throne room and untainted hands._

Rook's gaze rested upon the first four lines. _Evasive as a fly, someone cunning. Red or blue... It's obvious the red is bad, meaning evil, and blue is good, meaning justice or the sort._

Then his eyes fell upon the third stanza. '_Innocent named George'... 'Gore spatters the forge'... Forge... The weapon's a hammer._

And then it clicked. _The second stanza depicts the life of an honest man turning evil. The first explains his traits of being cunning and neutral. 'Throne room where I am god', it's a person of high authority on some place, and that place is the 'throne room'. Being cunning and evasive has it perks if you want to get away with 'Murders rivalling Jack's' while having 'Hands untainted by blood'. 'My victim before me' means that the answer has its sights on its prey at all times until 'Gore spatters the forge'. Despite being innocent, George still dies._

"The answer's the '_Corrupted Judge'_," answered Rook.

The flames flickered before winking out of existence. Soon blue flames replaced the purple and words began to write themselves once more.

**Congratulations on solving the first riddle, here's the next one.**

_**I whisper in your ears  
I listen to your fears.**_

_**I am your friend, yet I am not your friend  
I am the one you call a godsend.**_

_**I am your enemy, yet I am not you enemy  
I therefore bring you, bittersweet glory.**_

_**I will make sure that you will never fail  
Though however I will always control the scale.**_

_**I am not what you think  
I appear when you blink  
So do not struggle, and in my arms you shall sink.**_

_Tricky,_ thought Rook and peered closer to the words, '_Bring you bittersweet glory', huh? Something that grants wishes only to stab you back in the end... Something that people will call a 'godsend' and forget the bigger picture of what that 'thing' is. It 'Whispers in your ears', the answer should be the Devil but the guy doesn't appear when I blink. Or maybe she's talking about something else... Not struggling, the first choice always likes a struggle and the thing being discussed here always gets what it wants in the end without a fight._

Rook thought back on his first answer. _The Devil is really the closest thing I have right now, but then again... Appear when you blink, does she mean sleep? If so, then people usually live their delusions in their dreams which could probably lead to 'bittersweet glory'. Sleep and dream, huh? This thing has control of the scale meaning that it can dominate... something, something..._

The Human took his gaze away from the flames as they began to blind him. _What if 'bittersweet glory' is people's delusion and if this thing can bring those delusions, those desires to life then wouldn't it be a 'godsend'?' It's an enemy yet not an enemy', no clue there but I think I know the answer..._

"Koakuma, or more specifically a _'Succubus'_" said Rook.

The flames shuddered as if coming in contact with a light breeze before burning themselves out. Again, flames began to replace them, this time with the color of acid green.

**Impressive, so it looks like there's still hope for you after all. Try guessing this one.**

_**White Beak takes to the sky  
The crippled Black Wings cannot fly.**_

_**White turned Black for friendship's sake  
Merged together, what do they make?**_

"You're enjoying these stupid mind games aren't you?" Rook told the dancing flames. "Fine, I'll play along a bit more..."

_This one's short compared to the others, it shouldn't be that hard, right? _But even as Rook thought it, he knew that this one was just as tricky as the others with Patchouli's double meanings. _White Beak... Black wings... of course it's a bird but don't tell me... Hold on... It's too obvious. But then again I could be wrong. No it can't be a 'rook', and neither can it be 'chess rook' so it can't be me. A bird rook has a gray-black bill not white. A 'chess rook' has two colors: Black and White. But if merged together, what do they make?_

Rook took a step backward as a sentence formed just above the riddle.

**Think Rook, it shouldn't be that hard...**

_You're pissing me off..._ Ignoring the Magician's taunt, the Human returned to thinking, _Something that has both black and white... Yin and Yang? But what of the friendship part? In chess, white goes first followed by black. This has something to do with the game and this is proved by the first stanza._

He gazed at the second stanza's first line. _Is she trying to confuse me? In chess the only thing with mixed black and white is the board itself..._

"It's a chessboard, the two make out a chessboard," said Rook with a cold glare at the flames. Without further ado, the green flames disappeared and were replace by red ones.

**Nice try. At the first glance it would seem like a far answer, but nevertheless the correct one.**

"I read," replied Rook in an icy monotone.

**I see... Now time for the last one.**

_**Take all of your previous answers and crack the puzzle after witnessing the memories.**_

"Wait, wha—"Rook never had the chance to finish as his words never reached his vocal cords. Upon the circle, the red flames wrote three words: _The Judge, the Demon, and the Piece._ Those must be his previous answers only altered to fit the final question. It was then the time when all of his muscles seized up and stiffen while his brain experienced its worst torture yet.

Rook's vision began to fade as his mind was being drowned in the sea of pain. He struggled to make out the letters being written on the circle as his knees gave away and for his hands to push him away from the ground. He managed to see the letters: _I A M F_, before everything went dark.

...

Rook found himself spinning, or his surroundings were spinning instead of him. Everything was a big, black-red blur before he suddenly came to a halt. He found himself with his back against the cold surface of a wall. Looking around him, his blood immediately ran cold at the familiar looking cave he was currently in. Gazing to his left he found Remilia's sleeping form under a brown blanket as she dozed away peacefully. Rook had other ideas though instead of waking her up.

_No, not this, please not this, _he thought as he shoved a blanket off of him and ran outside. The sky was a deep shade of purple with a pinkish aurora cutting across it. There was no sign of the moon, clouds or stars in the heavens. A scream tore through the night, causing Rook's head to turn to the sound. "FLANDRE!"

Rook broke into a run, leaving footprints in the snow behind him. His breath smoked as he exhaled and sprinted as fast as he can. Navigating through a few trees, Rook finally found her alive and well though gravely injured. The figure of what could only be Flandre Scarlet sobbed with her head looking downwards, crystal tears falling into the snow below her mixing with the blood that gathered. The crimson liquid dripping from her back and from the bodies of five green robed figures tainted the white blanket that could be barely described as snow.

"You weren't fast enough..." she muttered between sobs, "Why? Where were you?"

"Flan..." Rook made the mistake of stepping forward when Flandre suddenly lifted her head.

Only that it wasn't Flandre's face he saw. "I WAITED FOR YOU YET YOU DIDN'T COME! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THEY HURT ME?! DON'T YOU EVEN CARE!?" screamed Flandre, bearing the face of Patchouli Knowledge as she screamed. Then all of a sudden, Patchouli's face broke into a fit of giggling before in the Librarian's voice she said, "Murderer..."

...

Rook was now back at the room, clutching his head and groaning in pain. The voices... They were back, clearer and louder than ever.

"_Rook, will you do anything as I say?"_

"_Of course, what makes you think I won't?"_

"_... Then, I told you that I wanted someone gone, will you do it?"_

"_Remilia..."_

The Human opened his eyes and found himself standing before a bloodied and burnt body of what used to be a human being. It was lying on its bed, apparently dead from its executioner's attack, a lamp lit at it side revealing its final expression before death. A look of pure terror.

Rook saw his vision turning towards the window while he watched as his own hand opened it before everything went dark again. A few moments of darkness his eyesight returned and he found himself writhing at the foot of a pillar. He was starting to feel sick yet he fought to keep his food down and think straight. However it seemed like doing the latter one was near impossible since he felt like he was being bashed on the head by an angry Oni with a fold-able chair.

He crawled on all fours, saliva dripping from his chin as beads of sweat soaked his forehead. The worst was yet to come, and his whole body suddenly stiffened as his vision went haywire once more. And hopefully for the last time.

...

"_You promise it won't hurt?"_

"_I promise, it'll be over before you know it."_

"_Okay then, well here it goes..."_

A familiar scream forced Rook's eyes to open, only to witness Flandre being enveloped in pure white electricity, her scarlet magic mixing with the lightning seeping through his hands. Horror dawned upon his face as he attempted to stop the flow of energy only to fail at it. It was just like last time, there wasn't a thing he could do and all he do was watch as her sanity slowly broke away.

Flandre's red eyes found Rook's gray ones in the midst of her pain. Her scream slowly turning into a silent one, she managed to say, "Y-y-you lied... Liar..."

And then everything exploded in crimson.

...

It was gone... The pain was gone... Rook gathered his broken thoughts and sent one command throughout his body. _Get up..._

It was no use dwelling in the past... It was done, over, finished. All he had to do now is repent, and bring the two sister's memories back in hopes they'll forgive him. This has gone far too long already and he was tired. Rook was tired of it. Only one person was in his way, and he wasn't about to let her keep him from clearing his conscience.

"The Judge, The Demon, and The Piece," muttered Rook as he slowly picked himself up from the floor and stand unsteadily on his feet. "Each symbolizing at least something related to the memories you dug up from my head. Let's see if I got this right..."

He raised his index finger at the magic circle and said, "To put it simply, it's obvious that the Piece is me, yet here comes the Judge. The Judge there symbolizes my poor decisions in the past leading to the consequences of my actions, also known as the Devil..."

"Those three words are clues to the keywords you're showing me now: I A M F, and it won't take an idiot to know what you're trying to say," Rook raised his thumb, creating a finger gun, "You're trying to make me say '_It's All My Fault'_ aren't you?"

The flames danced and shivered before erupting into a wall of flames, covering every part of the circle before burning itself out, leaving behind a dark orange portal. With an exhausted sigh, Rook slowly made his way towards the gateway and entered it.

What met him was a large study with books neatly arranged on the bookshelves which were on the wall. A sofa and couple of chairs surrounded a small round table in front of the fireplace as its dying flames slowly wasted into nothing. An old chandelier lit up the room in golden light, obviously being powered by magic.

However Rook had only eyes for the person behind the desk in front of him. Patchouli's lips were spread into a warm smile as her right eyes glowed an ominous red, "Why yes Rook, after all, you brought this all upon yourself, no?"

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: New chapter already? The world is going insane!_

_I don't really have much to say about the chapter except that making sense of those riddles is HARD. Especially the Black and White wings being the chessboard. I found myself saying, wut?_

_The Riddle about Koakuma just came to me while writing the chapter, originally it was only to be one riddle but then I decided on making it into three. But seriously, the closest thing to the second riddle is 'Succubus' or 'the Devil'._

_Now for the third, Damn it, it still doesn't mke sense. I just pulled that one outta my hat and threw it there. I'm losing my poetic skills!_

_Ah and yes this is a chapter edited by yours truly, you can tell me what's wrong but please don't be too harsh. I'm either going to take a break or start writing for Endless Echo. 4:95 could go hide in a hole till I get inspiration to write the third chapter._

_That's all for now, until next time everyone~!_

_Yahoo~!_


	20. Chapter 13: Showdown

_Nicolas Notes: I'M BACK! FINALLY! Though no one saw reviewed in my last chapter... Oh well! Hope this Chapter changes all of that!_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Touhou. Then... WHO WAS CREATOR?**  
_

* * *

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**CHAPTER 13: Showdown**

**Year: 2005**

**11:53 Post-meridian**

**Human Village, Gensokyo**

* * *

_This can't be good_

Keine Kamishirasawa stood at the roof of her school, looking into the west where a curtain of red enveloped the horizon. After a few seconds she turned her gaze to the sleepy village before her. The streets were empty save for the few guards that patrolled it. Most homes were lit while the others were dark and cold. The villagers were wary these days yet they did their best to continue their daily lives despite the incident not passing by like the others. The only incident that probably had them this alarmed was the Mystic Square, in which demons from another realm flooded Gensokyo.

Over thirty humans died during that time, not counting the youkai fatalities and Tengu deaths. The youkais got the worst of it since the demons were free to explore the wilds and forests and were not restricted to the available game unlike in the Human Village which was heavily guarded by the Youkai of Boundaries herself. Keine would rather have herself suffer than to allow such a thing to happen again. She even considered on storming the mansion herself if it weren't for _that_ person's appearance.

There was also word that the Hakurei Maiden was finally setting out to solve this incident. About time too. The happenings around the farms weren't going too well at the moment with the death of hundreds of crops. If the sun doesn't come out soon then it was going to be a cold summer, and the village would suffer by the time winter arrives.

The woman took a step forward and jumped down the roof's edge, landing on her feet as she hit the ground. Being a half-beast had its advantages. Despite falling from quite a height there was no need to fear of sprains or broken bones since the youkai blood she possessed took care of both her regenerative abilities and her body's sturdiness.

Keine slowly walked through the streets, looking left and right for anything out of the ordinary. She smiled and waved at the guards she passed by, "Good evening, please continue to do your best."

_Still, I couldn't help but worry. During the last incident, the Hakurei Maiden fought a goddess of demons, who knows what will challenge her next. The question still stands, that could the Hakurei Maiden defeat this threat like she did to the others? Even though if the Miko was currently the most powerful human in the land, there will always be a youkai that will be able to defeat her, there will be always a youkai lurking in the shadows waiting for an opportunity. The Maiden wasn't invincible, none of them were, and I know this since it was I who wrote down every single history they had._

"Going out for a walk, Teacher Keine?" asked a man in his early twenties, donning makeshift armour around his chest and shoulders.

"Yes, don't mind me I can take care of myself," replied Keine with a smile.

The guard considered this for a moment before lifting his head up to the sky. "Full moon, huh? I understand, please be careful."

"Thank you for understanding," said the teacher with a bow before waving goodbye and walking out of the village.

The guard watched her retreating back disappear behind a group of trees at the distance. His eyes widened as he heard an unholy roar erupt from the forest, causing birds to fly out of their nests in fear.

"Gensokyo is a very strange place, filled with many strange things. As a native you should be used to this, no?" asked a soft voice behind the guard.

He spun around readying his spear and lamp only to find a girl with purple hair in a bright orange kimono. "L-L-Lady Akyuu! My apologies for not noticing you earlier."

The girl smiled as she giggled behind her sleeve, "I understand, you were too busy doing your job... Or were you?"

"W-what do you mean by that, milady?" asked the guard, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"Oh nothing~, though judging from the way you looked at Keine's, ahem ,'back', you were guarding the gate so seriously that you lost your focus on sensing what's around you," a sinister chuckle escaped Akyuu's lips. Bearing the knowledge that this little girl had over nine rebirths the past millennia only added to the effect, causing the guard to shuffle nervously.

"I do not know what you are talking about, milady," he responded as if he rehearsed it.

"Oh no, one ever does, no one ever does, he he he," Akyuu turned around to walk away, leaving the guard with a bewildered expression. "Seems like we're going to have a good night. This night will be one for the history books Keine has..."

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**11:53 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Gate, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rumia had just finished applying a splint along the Gate Guard's arm before applying some more plant paste to her swollen brow. It's been three hours and Rumia was mostly done with the little healing she could do to the injured guard. At a first glance she seemed fine with nothing but a few cuts and bruises here and there, yet Rumia soon found out that Hong had a few serious injuries she wasn't telling. A couple of broken ribs, a cracked bone in her arm, and a dislocated foot, probably from all of those blows her and Rook exchanged earlier.

Not only that her spirit, or Qi seemed very weak judging by Rumia's observation. She didn't actually see the Qi flow, yet after asking Hong on what else hurt, she found out of the dire state the Gate Guard was. At first the Guard wanted to get up and stop Rook from going in yet Rumia had other ideas and kept her down. This happened shortly after the Hakurei Maiden arrived.

The Red-head was very quiet since then, not protesting or saying a word as Rumia tended to her. It was probably wise since any more rough movements could disrupt her flow of energy and hurt her, complicating her youkai blood's healing capability. The Darkness Youkai wasn't much of a healer herself yet she did know a trick or two in case she received a nasty injury. For now she's done what she can, so she settled for falling on her butt and turning her gaze at the mansion.

The moment the Hakurei Maiden entered the mansion there had been nothing but the sounds of explosions and bangs. Right now, silence hung in the air, adding to the tension both youkais felt. Rumia didn't care much for the Human's life yet he and the Maiden were her best chances of getting rid of this incident. However if he died, then he died, simple as that. Sucks to be him if that were to happen.

The youkai girl began to think back earlier that evening. The time when she was searching for Rook through the island... When she met that woman.

"_Do you remember me? Your debt, child..."_

"_I...see...What do you want in return?"_

Rumia brought her knees to her chin and hugged them. She recognized that voice and she would never forget it. Her right hand instinctively reached for her ribbon, only to remember that she couldn't touch it. As much she loved darkness, she hated being left in the dark, or so to say being deprived of information... Information about herself.

"Thank you," said a voice, Rumia turned to see Hong smiling at her, "You're a really nice youkai."

Rumia looked away and resumed staring at nothing. "Don't mention it, love."

"Um, may I know my healer's name?" asked the Guard with a slight blush, _She called me 'love'. It couldn't mean what I think it means._

"Names have power, miss. But what the hell, I go by Rumia, a pleasure to make your acquaintance miss Gate Guard," replied Rumia, her crimson eyes fixed on Hong with an eyebrow raised.

"I-I'm Hong Meiling by the way."

"Mhmm."

An awkward silence soon followed. The owls hooted and leaves rustled, everything seemed peaceful at the moment. Rumia began to wonder what was happening inside the god forsaken mansion. And why was the Gate Guard blushing furiously? Rumia released a sigh as she shook her head. She didn't have time to ponder life's mysteries, her job was done here.

Standing up, Rumia brushed dirt off her skirt and prepared to fly.

"Wh-where are you going?" asked Hong looking surprised at Rumia's sudden desire to leave.

"Home, it seems to me that my job is done here."

"Huh? But wouldn't you... I don't know... stay for a bit? Some youkais are probably lurking about and in my state..." Hong's words trailed off, her words turning into incoherent mumbling.

Rumia considered this for a moment before snickering, eventually breaking into a fit of giggling, "You want me to protect you, hm? Oh the irony, the guardian needs to be guarded."

"N-nothing like that, but...well..." Hong's face started to turn beet red turning a bright shade of scarlet as the blonde's face came inches from hers.

"Hmm, seems to me that you enjoy my company, though I'll just say this in advance," Rumia's smile broke into a grin, "don't worry, Rumia-tan will protect you, Anee-san!"

Turning away from the nervous Meiling, Rumia gazed at the forest path with a serious expression. _Hm, seems to me that I don't have anything to do at the moment. Cirno's probably still mad at me for involving Daiyousei... I could probably kill time here, besides..._

Looking back, her eyes fell upon the red mansion. _Something good is about to happen... And I have front row seats to watching it..._

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**11:53 Post-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Heart of Voile, Gensokyo**

* * *

"I can't argue with you on that..."

"But it is, your fault, hm?"

"No need to rub it in..."

Rook didn't feel too good. He was feeling as if his stomach could turn over at any given moment and that what food that's left in him would go out. Nevertheless, he kept his legs from shaking, his mind clear as day, and eyes as cold as ice. The Human was drained mentally, emotionally, and physically. And by the burning sensation slowly intensifying within his bones, the Price was choosing the wrong time to take effect. Due to the mind numbing challenge Patchouli had issued him, he was subjected to horrible mentally scarring tortures, causing a dull throbbing feeling on his skull.

He was at a disadvantage, and it wouldn't take an idiot to see that if a fight broke out, he would definitely lose.

If he can just reach for his pouch and drink from a vial, he'll be strong enough to defend himself. But under the gaze of those purple and red eyes opposite of him, he could barely move an inch without being blasted across the room.

A few paces from him was a dark brown desk, and behind it was a woman clad in purple with her hood drawn up as her hair spilled at the sides of her face. She had her head resting upon her left fist, covered in a long black glove with rune markings. Her right hand was in the same fashion while holding leather bound black book. An uncharacteristic smile spread upon her lips as she gazed at Rook; however a cruel light danced behind both of her eyes.

_Another change in costume, and she even went so far as getting contact lenses, _thought Rook trying to keep his mind off his inevitable doom. _Think, I need to think my way out of this... _

The Human's eyes darted towards anything he can use or hide in case of an attack, so far there wasn't anything he can make use. Though he did notice one thing, _Why... is the chandelier flickering? Those things should be powered by magic, magic coming from her... Yet why are they flickering...? Something's off here..._

"So... it wouldn't take long for you to figure out what's going to happen next, right?" said Patchouli, shattering the fragile silence "This is the part where you suffer..."

"Oooh, scary, but if I may ask, during my fight with China she couldn't help but mention having help from you in powering herself up, so I couldn't help wondering how you did it?" asked Rook, casually putting a hand in his pocket, "Not to mention that eye of yours and that of the Maid's. I've got to say you're stepping up your game."

"Well, I suppose I can indulge on how I succeeded in imitating that god awful augmentation ability you have and bent it to a more controlled state," Patchouli conjured a coffee mug out of thin air and took a sip from it.

"Though even though you succeeded, there has to be some drawbacks, right?" asked the Human.

"A slight problem but nothing I can fix. With the ritual that I have created, I have succeeded in amplifying China's strength, speed, and endurance by fivefold," with a wave of her fingers, a purple mist gathered in thin air before spreading apart. Rook was barely surprised to see his image battling a very angry Hong just outside the mansion. He could see that every time the Guard dashed, she was nothing more than a blur of green and red. From his perspective, he looked like sitting duck.

"With said ritual, I have also increased the intensity and power of my own spells," admitted the Magician, straightening on her chair as she reached within her desk drawer, "And it's all thanks to this beauty. I suppose you recognize this, hm?"

"Philosopher's stone, so you really did manage to extract its potential."

"Why of course, not only did I discover things beyond its ability to grant rejuvenation and transmutation of base metals to silver, I have also managed to use its magic for an endless supply of mana," Patchouli tilted the stone around her fingers as she observed it, "On normal circumstances, I have the power to match that of Remilia's right now with the use of this."

"Yet this isn't anything but _normal_ right now, huh? You mentioned about interference earlier," said Rook.

"Indeed, meaning that the magic I'm supposed to have is cut to half," Patchouli set the purple crystal on her desk. "Hmm, you don't seem to be aware that someone's helping you. A highly adept wizard working for you?"

"Dumb luck if I can get to call it," Patchouli kept silent at that, so Rook went on, "So, you said that you managed to bend my ability to a controlled state, do you mind elaborating?"

"Oh that?" Patchouli gave him a bored look. She was getting bored, so much for stalling, or maybe she was just tired of playing along? "Very well, seeing how your body rejects whatever it is you consumed to become whatever you are now, I decided that it wouldn't do just to copy everything, right? With an emphasis on _everything_. No, I just needed similarities that I can imitate such as your speed, strength and endurance. No need to copy the side effects such as the Price since, well, what good will it bring?"

"Fascinating, but in order to 'copy' and 'imitate' you need some kind of base for the stone to work its magic," Rook lifted his left hand and shrugged, "Question is where'd you get them?"

"The samples were taken from the basement," the Magician answered nonchalantly, "You made quite a mess there during your last visit... Tell me Rook, why are you so obsessed with this? You could have left us alone for all you cared... Yet you still chose to stick your damn nose into places you're not supposed to, so why?"

Rook held back a snort, "Actually it's all because of that is the reason I'm doing this: I care..."

"You're not really giving up aren't you, Corvice?" Patchouli said with a smirk.

"Nope, and as much as I want to end this as peacefully as I could, it doesn't seem like your ego's going to let you hear the end of it, _Cynthia_?"

Patchouli's smile vanished as the name was uttered.

"Hmph, what's with the face '_Patchouli'_? Scared of your little shadow?" a grin slowly crept across Rook's lips as he continued his taunt, watching Patchouli grip the edge of her desk looking at him with cold hatred, "Hey 'Cynthia', you mind explaining how you turned out to be a train wreck of a country witch six centuries back? Or was it five? Can't really remember you see, and it'll be nice if you'll—"

"Cynthia is dead, just like 'Corvice' is, Rook," growled the Magician through gritted teeth. Oh he was enjoying this. Maybe a little memory refresher on her background is in order.

"Heh, sorry, I thought we were going to go by the 'real name' basis, but now that we're in the subject, I'll just give you some good news, Patchouli!" Rook added a bit of cheer in his tone this time, mocking the Magician before him, "_SHE's _here. And _SHE's _alive and well, living as a ditzy witch living alone with a cat. You know now that I think of it, its ironic how you keep telling me how I messed up everyone's life when you also messed up your own mentor's life beyond recognition, and cursed her while you're at it. I never really got to say this but 'Good Job' Patchouli!"

"You... Have no idea what you're talking about, Chess Piece," muttered the Magician in a dangerous tone.

Rook tried to cross his arms on his chest but winced as the movement pained him, instead he settled with putting his right hand on his hip. "I may have not been present but word travels fast with the right contacts, I'm surprised that you didn't end her suffering once you beat her, shamed her, and took away every bit of her knowledge so that you can put them in your own head!"

"SHUT UP!" roared Patchouli, her eyes looking absolutely livid, ready to attack at any given moment.

The fight was near, time to wrap things up. "If she were here in her rational state of mind, then I'll bet she'd say that you're a 'complete disappointment', Cynthia Aureus."

A burst of purple light and Rook watched as a wooden desk was flying towards him. In his current condition, it was obvious that he got hit, and was hit hard sending him crashing back first into a wall. The desk broke as it and Rook came in contact with the wall, scattering debris on the Human's body. Breathing hard, Rook attempted to rise only to see Patchouli's finger shine an ominous purple before a mammoth like force threw him through the dented wall, across the circular library, and back into the Voile. His body limp, Rook fell through the air, the images of the walls and bookshelves racing past the edge of his vision.

The Human crashed among a large pile of books, somehow preventing him from falling into a bloody mess on the ground. Still it didn't mean he was alright. His breathing was shallow and laboured, black spots danced at the edge of his vision. Rook felt his mind shutting down, yet through sheer willpower he forced himself to remain conscious. Conscious long enough for him to retrieve a vial from his pouch and drinking it in one gulp.

Rook placed a hand on his temple before shaking his head like a wet dog. He had to do something about that buzzing. Wait... Buzzing?

The Human slowly lifted his gaze at the Rook-sized hole he had created and watched as iron cogs shot out, one after another.

"Oh crap, not good..." he managed to roll down the hill of books just as a razor sharp cog hit the place where his body used to be. Wasting no time, he immediately broke into a run as cogs impaled themselves on places where he was a split second before. One cog seemed smarter than the others and tried to cut him in half by flying to meet him. Not wanting to be bisected on the front nor the back, Rook slid down low enough for the projectile to sail above his head. A metallic clank indicated that two missiles collided with each other.

Stopping in a crouch, Rook directed his glare at the hole in which the killer metals came out. It soon exploded, scattering dust and smoke everywhere, the faint glow of five colors visible through the dust.

_She sure knows how to make an entrance,_ he thought. Rook stretched his right hand as sapphire electricity coursed through his glove.

* * *

_**Elsewhere...**_

_He's going to die..._

_Well? Well? WELL?! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?!_

"I... Don't know..."

_What do you mean you don't know?! Lookie, lookie, she's going to kill our Rookie! Crush her eye, crush it! CRUSH IT, DAMN YOU, CRUSH IT!_

_Wuss, wussy Flandre, you're just going to pee yourself again aren't you~? Cry, cry, ahahahahahaha! CRY YOU BIG BABY, HE'LL NEVER SAVE YOU IF HE'S DEAD~! _

_YOU! SHUT UP YOU, HE'S MY TOY, I GET TO BREAK HIM!_

_Time's running out, Flandre. He won't make it; he's your only chance of getting us out... If he dies then we'll be with you forever._

_FOREVER AND EVER, AND EVER, AND EVER! I HATE IT! IT MAKES ME SICK BEING IN THE SAME MIND AS THIS WUSS! THIS STUPID BABY, SHE'S BETTER OFF DEAD, HEY FLANDRE, GO GET A ROPE AND HANG YOURSELF,YOU WHORE! I LIKE PENGUINS. HEY, WHAT DOES A PENGUIN LOOK LIKE?_

_Hehehehehe, if she kills herself then don't we die as wel~l? Use your noggin sometimes; it'll work wonders, hehehehe~. Besides, even if the stupid girl hanged herself, she'll just be a nuisance, right Flanny~?_

_HEY, I SAID WHAT DOES A PENGUIN LOOK LIKE?! HEY MORON, ANSWER ME! EHEEHEHEHEHEEHEHE, FLANDRE, FLANDRE, FLANDRE, FLANDRE, FLANDRE, YOOOOOOHOOOO~~~!_

"I know he'll make it... I have...faith..."

_But that stupid faith isn't going to save your cute little meat buns behind your back~! _

_STUPID, STUPID, STUPID, STOP IGNORING ME! I'M RIGHT HERE YOU KNOW~! _

_Both of you hush. She won't be able to make her decision... _

_AND WHO MADE YOU THE BOSS AROUND HERE, MISS TWINKLE TOES?! YOU STILL HAVEN'T TOLD ME WHAT RICE TASTES LIKE! OR HOW WATER HAS NO COLOR! OR WHY THE WHITE RABBIT THINGY KEEPS TELLING US ABOUT STUPID CONTRACT!_

_I'm hungry~! Has that Maid made dinner yet? Hey that rhymes~!_

"..."

_Oh~, not talking are we~? Fine then, I'll help myself then~!_

"No... Please... Don't..."

_Ahh~ there we go~!_

"Agh! It hurts, it hurts, stop it! Please, my head! Agh, N-n-no! Please don't...T-t-t-take o-over! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

_..._

"Much~ Better now~! Hehehehehehehehe~"

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**12:00 Anti-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Voile the magic library, Gensokyo**

* * *

The library rumbled as it was assaulted by two large four pointed lasers, slicing and vaporizing any poor book that got in their way. Fast blasts of red bullets rained upon the earth and caused mayhem, peppering fallen shelves into dust, sending torn pages flying into the air. Patchouli Knowledge narrowed her purple and red eyes in an attempt to see through the smoke.

Her eyes widened as her opponent answered with a lightning bolt. The Magician snorted and deflected the bolt with a backhand.

"That the best you can do, Chess Piece?" taunted Patchouli as she searched for the bolt's source.

Rook on the other hand had his back against the foot of a colossal book shelf, his right fist crackling with electricity. "Hey Magician, catch!"

His taunt was soon followed by a bright blue lightning bolt flying through the air. Patchouli made quick work of it by raising a shield. The bolt winked out of existence, however as it did, Rook disappeared a few seconds later. A loud tap from her back made enough reason for Patchouli to whirl around, spotting Rook kicking off a bookshelf and diving towards her. How he got there so fast was a mystery to her.

Rook placed his palms together before spreading them apart, creating an endless stream of electricity in his hands. He grabbed the energy with his gloved hand and spun in mid-air, lashing out with a whip wrought from raw energy. The whip collided with the shield, pushing the Magician encased within a few feet back. However Rook was far from done since the whip seemed to grab hold of the shield like a magnet, he used the chance to pull himself closer while delivering a fist full of lightning to Patchouli's shield.

Blue and purple danced as his fist connected with the armour protecting the Magician, finally breaking free the last minute.

Rook caught the sight of a black book being opened directly in front of his face before everything exploded into orange. His torso was smoking as he found himself on the ground, thankfully his clothes were made of tougher material to actually tear. A groan escaped him as rose back on his feet, only to be assaulted by fast moving water bullets. The Human ran as fast as he could, aiming an outstretched palm at his opponent while sending bullet after bullet of electricity. Patchouli screamed in frustration at Rook's attacks, willing herself to crash down on the ground while summoning green stone pillars to riddle the battle field.

The Human rolled out of a pillar's way as it thrust out to spear him. Apparently it seemed like these things weren't even aimed at him. He put one foot over a fallen shelf and felt something rushing through his veins. Blue electricity enveloped his arms for a moment before fading as quick as it came.

Rook shook himself out of his trance and focused on his enemy. An explosion rung throughout the library, forcing Rook to shield himself from the fragments of the pillars. Rook narrowed his eyes as Patchouli reached for a spellcard within her the folds of her robe.

"Fire sign~ Ring of Agni!" she declared, raising the card above her.

A wheel of flames gathered above the Magician before rolling its way towards Rook who dodged to his left. The heat was intense, and judging by the burns on the floor he wouldn't like getting hit by that. Landing on a crouch, Rook retaliated with a burst of lightning bullets. He only ceased his fire when a bigger wheel came crashing down towards his way, forcing him to take cover behind a bookshelf.

"Damn, she really is cutting loose," Rook stole a peek only to pull back when he found Patchouli looking for him, her eyes darting wherever he was hiding. "Weird how she's not burning down her own library to find me." He stared at his power filled hand and whispered, "Hmm, maybe I should try those bullets and whip things more often. New powers at a convenient time, not that I'm complaining..."

A ring of fire blasted a hole a few feet away from his head, tearing the bookshelf open. Rook knelt down and countered, his palms firing bursts of electricity like a machine gun. Unfortunately, the time he chose to attack was also the time Patchouli sent another crown of flames for him to receive, causing the bullets to die as they came in contact with it. Rook hid as the flames passed by, firing off a lightning bolt in return.

Patchouli blocked it with her magic circle, casting another ring of fire over her head. Her chanting was cut off as the bolt lashed out while becoming flexible, hitting her shield not once but three times. The Magician shot Rook a look of pure spite as he walked out of the bookshelf, a whip made out of pure lightning similar to earlier. Rook struck, rolling to the side to dodge a fire ball or two while slashing again. Patchouli summoned a ring of fire to circle around her, forcing Rook's whip to dispel as it came in contact with the blaze. Now barehanded and a bit drained, Rook ducked for cover as the flames exploded outwards.

The Human glanced from behind the hill of debris and spotted his opponent. Apparently, the Magician was bent over, breathing laboriously. It seemed like that last attack did quite a number on her with the wards that she said were suppressing her power. Rook vaulted over his hiding place and broke into a run, a hand outstretched to grab Patchouli's arm and to fry her.

Patchouli looked up with a triumphant smirk on her face as she said, "Water sign~ Princess Undine"

Rook barely dodged the torrent of water as it grazed his right shoulder. However, similar to that of a giant tentacle, another torrent swept horizontally and hit his torso just as he was a few inches away from the Magician. Rook was sent flying backwards, his back coming in contact with the ground as he came to a stop. Groaning, Rook slowly stood back on his feet only to get blasted by a water pillar.

When the pressure died down, he was on all fours, panting and gasping for his precious air. The sound of water being released reached Rook's ears, cue for him to roll forward and dodge.

"I expected more from you Rook, who's the disappointment now, huh?!" Patchouli enveloped herself in large transparent bubble and slowly hovered from the ground.

Rook stood up and assaulted her with more lightning bullets, switching to his regular bolts a few seconds later. The Human cursed under his breath as his attacks bounced off the Magician's shield. Blue lights slowly shined upon the bubble's roof when all of a sudden smaller glowing bubbles were launched into the air. Rook ceased his fire and sprinted across the exploding bubbles, using the torrent's absence as a chance to get closer.

Lightning flew from his hands and met resistance in the form of Patchouli's bubbles, accompanied by lasers. Diving to his left, Rook didn't seem to be making much damage but only succeeded in making Patchouli even more furious. The lasers were new however they only made his job harder. Rook grazed one and realized they weren't lasers; they were narrow, sharp shard of ice and just left a shallow cut on his shoulder.

"Enough!" he roared, spreading his arms on either side of him, causing tendrils of electricity to leave his body.

Patchouli wasn't even surprised as all of her ice and bubbles disappeared, and instead she promptly drew a spellcard from her pocket. "Fire sign~ Agni Radiance!"

"You want a piece of me, huh?!" shouted Rook, glaring with eyes filled with hate at the Magician flying between two twisters of fire, "Then come and get me! Wayward Chess Piece~ Checkmate!"

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**12:00 Anti-meridian**

**Between of the Forest and of the Humans, Kourindou, Gensokyo**

* * *

A bell rang at the entrance, causing the Unmoving Goods Seller to lift an eyebrow. Now who could be visiting on this time of night while in an incident no less? Rinnosuke Morichika released as sigh as he recognized the rough footsteps headed towards his counter. The shopkeeper paid no mind to the noise and turned the page of the book he was reading. A few seconds later, a large outline of a cone blocked the little he received from the dim light bulb, thus disturbing his reading.

A cough, probably a gesture for attention, came from the other side of the counter to which Rinnosuke reacted with a bored gaze. A young woman with the appearance of a fifteen year old blonde and witch outfit took up most of Rinnosuke's vision with her large pointed hat. A grin was etched upon her lips while her golden eyes twinkled with mischievous light, a fair enough warning that this wasn't the kind of girl to be entrusted with explosives or sharp objects.

"Good evening Kourin! Business booming yet?" asked the girl with her arms crossed below her chest.

"Marisa... The person I least want to see, what do you want?" The shopkeeper gave her an annoyed look before returning to his book.

"Aww, don't be like that, ze!" teased the witch with her ever present grin, "So you have what need yet?"

"Yes. It's still a prototype, but it should be fine," Rinnosuke unwillingly set aside his book to get something below the counter, "Though I'll have to advise you to keep the explosions to a minimum. As you requested I stretched your hakkero's limits to the very peak, however it doesn't mean that it's as durable as before. One concentrated magic attack or a feather slicing that thing is enough to destroy it so be careful. Though it doesn't seem like you're the type to be careful anyway..."

Rinnosuke gently placed a cardboard box on top of the wooden table and opened its contents, fishing out a small octagonal box and tossed it to Marisa who caught it. The young witch couldn't help but whistle as she examined her upgraded toy. She felt strange warmth envelop her fingers slowly travelling throughout her arm. Marisa tossed the hakkero into the air, catching it before hiding it in her apron's pocket.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

Rinnosuke's eyebrow travelled further into his fringe as he caught a hint of sincerity in the Witch's tone. _Now that's surprising..._

"So, I take it that you'll be taking part in this incident now that you have you hakkero back?" asked the shopkeeper, "It's been days, weeks even, maybe you should go and help her out."

"I know, I know, why the hell did I have you upgrade my hakkero if that wasn't the case?" an arrogant smirk crept on Marisa's lips.

"So you were planning to help out after all?"

"Shoot, Cranko Miko's my best friend, ze!" said Marisa, "Can't have her working all the time, eh? It ain't good for her lazy personality, the last thing we need is for Reimu to be up and running around, sticking her nose into everyone's business like some kind of cop."

Rinnosuke picked up his book and sighed, "Marisa..."

"Yep?" the Witch gave him a questioning look.

"It's been three years since you last spoke to her and already five years since both of you fought, whatever it is you're trying to hide, cast it aside since it won't do you any good," the shopkeeper's golden eyes flashed for a moment while his pupils contracted like that of a cat's, "It's not my place to tell you what to do, but sometime later, you'll need Reimu's help. It's going to be inevitable..."

Rinnosuke couldn't see the Witch's face under the brim of her hat, but he could tell that she was doing her best to stay calm.

"Look here Kourin, I got nothing against her at all and I'm gonna go out there right now 'cause I'm freaking tired of not talking to her all this time, okay?"

"So you want to earn her favour back now, hm? By helping her out?"

"Yeah."

"I see..." Rinnosuke was silent for a moment before saying, "Okay then, but bear in mind that you'll have to forgive the person you hate most, one way or another."

"Right," with that the Witch pushed the exit door open and left.

"Geez, I just hope she'll get what she deserves," the shopkeeper gazed at his ceiling fan.

* * *

**12:25 Anti-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Voile the magic Library, Gensokyo**

* * *

"Two minutes... Two minutes is all I have..." Rook had his arms shielding himself from the flames, "I'll have to make the most of it!"

A solid kick to the ground sent Rook flying across the air, bursting from the swirling pillars of fire and towards the flying Magician. He didn't even flinch as the flames reached for his skin and neither did his flesh seem to be burned during his time within the heart of the inferno. His whole body was on fire sure, but the blaze soon died out as they found no fuel to burn with his clothes remaining intact and his skin refusing to be cooked.

Rook brought his arms up again as Patchouli hosed him down with a pillar of orange fire, yet the attack seemed to have no effect on him. The Magician gritted her teeth as the Human was about to reach her, forcing her body to fly sideways. Rook collided with a bookshelf, sending dust and debris into the air. Patchouli's eyes flashed and proceeded to unleash a fierce onslaught of fireballs and purple orbs upon the smoke.

A figure burst from the dust clouds and dashed along the shelf, heading to higher ground. Rook stomped one foot ahead of the other as he ran on the shelf's side, defying the laws of physics and gravity themselves. The Magician screamed in frustration as she bombarded her own books with exploding orbs and fireballs. Rook kicked the shelf and launched himself upwards, reaching the roof of the shelf and resumed his dash, this time retaliating with his lightning bolts.

Patchouli took the time to dodge before shooting with her purple orbs. Lightning bolts and magic orbs collided while a few made it past the hordes and were headed straight for their respective enemies. Patchouli caught a handful of the lightning with her magic circle while only four orbs reached Rook, all missing him by a meter. Rook used the Magician's preoccupied time to jump off the shelf with his hands and feet crackling.

The Magician was too busy adjusting her vision to the dust and smoke to see the Human falling towards her. It was only when Rook was levelled with her in terms of altitude that she noticed him; however it was then the time he released the pressurized electricity within his palms by clapping them together. Blue light shined throughout the dim library, sending both Rook and Patchouli crashing into bookshelves.

Rook had his hands grabbing the sides of the crater he had made to prevent himself from shooting through the wood. Patchouli had done the same, though only with the use of her flight. Rook drew his arm back before thrusting it out, sending a stream of blue lightning into the air. The Magician raised her abominable shield once more and casually deflected the attack, causing tendrils of electricity to dance in the air.

The Human grunted as his vision began to darken while fighting to keep his lightning alive. Soon, his left knee gave away, causing him to kneel as his left hand rested upon his right arm. It wasn't enough, his power wasn't enough. Even with her magic cut to half, she was still more powerful.

_No... Come on, fight!_ He growled internally, planting his left foot on the ground to stand up.

"Lie down and die already, Metal and wood sign~ Elemental Harvester!" A horrible buzzing echoed over the sound of running lighting.

Rook was caught by surprised as the edge of a razor sharp cog hit him square on the chest. The lightning was cut and in its place blood sprayed as the blade forced itself to slice Rook in half. If it weren't for his spellcard earlier he would have been long dead and sliced, though if he didn't move now he was going to lose all of his blood and die anyway. With growl, the Human clasped his palms upon the flat sides of the blade and spun around, tossing it into the abyss of books and wood. It wasn't even a second later when another rotating blade hit him on the back, sending him flying after the first blade.

Papers and dust flew as he crashed face first into the junk pile. A couple of coughs escaped his lips as he stood up only to tense and side step a blade from the shadows. Rook ducked low as a whirl of purple slashed horizontally above him before stepping back a few paces as another blade cut upwards. Surprisingly enough Patchouli decided to engage in melee combat using her blades. She shielded herself as Rook struck with an electrified fist, causing the attack to bounce off the flat of circular blade.

Her feet slipped a few inches, a sign that she wasn't entirely used to close range combat. It didn't change the fact that she was still an adept magician in both close and long range; this was proven when she launched the giant cog on her right towards Rook. The Human managed to catch it by some miracle between his palms, stopping it as it was a few inches from tearing his torso apart once more. Electricity crackled and the cog broke into fragments, cue for Rook to evade another slice from the Magician.

Patchouli brought her rotating blades behind her before slashing the both horizontally in hopes to catch Rook in a pincer attack. The right cog flew a few inches from hitting Rook's skull; however the left one came in contact with his right arm in an attempt to shield himself. It was like his skin was made of metal, no, his bones.

He wasn't exactly invincible at the moment because of the blood he was releasing, but to barely flinch against explosions, cuts, and direct hits was almost impossible. Blood flew, yes, but there were no wounds for them to come out from. Regeneration? Perhaps but this one was too fast. The cost of stressing his normal human rejuvenation and to block all sort of transmissions sent from his nerve into his brain while keeping his body functioning must be heavy. A Price one must pay to acquire this level of endurance and strength, no wonder his body rejects it.

A cruel smile appeared upon Patchouli's lips. _No matter, even if he is invincible now, it doesn't mean that he's invincible forever..._

Rook struggled to shield himself against the wicked cog, however it seemed like its momentum was too strong and was beginning to overwhelm him... And it did. The Human was lifted off his feet and was sent crashing into the hill of books.

Lifting his head up, he cursed under his breath as he dashed away from the assault of yellow. Rook raised his palm to counter, only to catch the sight of a volley of yellow orbs headed his way. He didn't even have the chance to dodge or run when it suddenly rained hell on earth around him. When the dust cleared, Rook rose to his knees, inhaling a lungful of air. A chill went down his spine as he saw a pair of brown lace boots stop right in front of him. He slowly raised his head and immediately recognized Patchouli's book wide open in front of him with the Magician herself behind its pages.

"Summer Red," she whispered softly, and then the entire world became orange.

Patchouli smiled in satisfaction as she watched Rook's battered body crumple right back at the center of the library, giving her a good view on her opponent's impending demise. Her smiled only widened while her eyes twinkled in cruel amusement as Rook began to convulse. An expression of pain etched upon his face while his arms seemed to stiffen along with his legs. A gloved hand covered his blonde hair as he groaned in agony. His time was up.

The Magician slipped a hand in her pocket and slowly drew a spellcard, "Earth and Metal sign~ Emerald Megalith"

Rook gritted his teeth as pain flooded his system, it seemed like the Price chose the worst of times to act up. At the sound of a spellcard activating, his blood couldn't help but freeze in place at the thought of an incoming assault. In his current condition, he was in no shape to dodge or block anything. The pain was too unbearable for him to think of a coherent thought, much less issue a command to his body to dodge. The hand clutching at his face fell limply to the side as he watched as hundreds of fat green orbs turned into a thousand, accompanied by green crystals and smaller orbs appear below the library's roof.

He reached out with his trembling hand in an attempt to stop the inevitable onslaught, yet only succeeded in straining his mind further. Every time he moved it hurt, every time he thought of something it hurt. Giving up sounded like a good idea right about now. At his state now he was bound to lose. It was only a matter of time; he had come so far only to fail once more.

It was over...

Patchouli released her will from the spell and allowed the green attack to fall upon her most hated enemy. A frown formed upon her brow and with a little nudge, she increase the intensity of her attack, causing loud bangs and explosions to rock the colossal bookshelves. _I know it'll take more than that to put you down, so don't expect me to stop right here, Chess Piece._

Emerald pillars crashed while the green orbs unleashed a ring of force every time they came in contact with the ground. Wave after wave they assaulted the spot where Rook supposedly lay, if it weren't for the Spellcard System used as the foundation of the cards used, no youkai or human would have been able to survive that. But with the way Patchouli intensified every wave, even with the System, Rook had a slim chance of getting out with more than a fractured skeletal system.

Concentrated attacks of Danmaku like this could kill a person in contrast with normal Danmaku within the range of the System could cover.

When the crashing and explosions reached intolerable levels, Patchouli cancelled the spellcard and reached for another one, obviously not content. "Fire and Metal sign~ St. Elmo's Pillar!"

_This'll end you for good, NOW STAY DEAD! _A ball of fire hovered above Patchouli's head before launching itself into the smoke and ash. However the loud blast she expected never came. The Magician tilted her head to the side in curiosity as she discovered a strange presence and power before her. _Weird... It would've taken him a few minutes before recovering from an attack such as that, but now... Hold on... This isn't Rook's power, this is... Different..._

"Duplex Barrier," declared a feminine voice with a subtle mixture of irritation and amusement. "Hm, this place seems a bit bigger on the inside than the outside, no? So dark, can't the people here afford building windows? And they say I'm a cheapskate."

Patchouli greeted the newcomer's monologue with a tone of annoyance, "You there, Red-White. Stop running amok in my library."

"Library? Oh... Well aren't you rude," responded the voice as its source stepped out of the dust and smoke. True to the Magician's word, the girl wore a red-white shrine maiden outfit with detached sleeves and a yellow kerchief at the base of her neck. Her left hand was thrust out in front of her while her right hand placed her purification rod on her shoulder. A golden square the size of an average human emitted a faint glow before fading away. Now Patchouli knew what cancelled out her last attack.

"Rude I may be, but I don't appreciate people dropping by unannounced," said the Magician coldly, "And please don't touch the books. Judging from your appearance, you look like a street rat, meaning that the books here a worth more than your shrine could afford in five years."

"Uh, my shrine doesn't really get that much donations...Oh... I get it..." the girl glanced behind her and crouched down beside Rook's half conscious form. "Geez, after five years this is how I find you? Not really the reunion I was expecting, but..." She turned her gaze towards the Magician standing at the ready. "Seems like you were busy, huh?"

"Rei...mu? " was all Rook managed to croak before passing out.

"If you would be so kind to step aside, I have some unfinished business with that man right there," snapped Patchouli, clearly eager on setting Rook on fire right there and then, "That is, unless you want to burn along with him..."

A sigh escaped Reimu's lips as she turned to face the Magician, staring at Patchouli's mismatched eyes of purple and red with her own. "Look, I really don't care what kind of beef you have with him, and you can beat him up for all I know, but I'm gonna tell you this."

The shrine maiden raised her gohei towards the Magician with a smirk plastered across her face, "I'm youkai exterminator and you... Are a youkai... So it only makes sense that I exterminate you for being in my way, right?"

"Sense? Sense?! Oh my, now isn't that just barbaric..." replied Patchouli, "You poor, poor girl. If you knew this man then he must have been a very bad influence. I advise you to choose company better suited for you, little girl..."

"Hmm... Maybe you're right..." said Reimu while rubbing her chin, a look of deep contemplation on her face. Then suddenly, the look vanished, replaced by a wide grin, "The again, maybe not...Show me what you got, bookie, Dream sign~ Evil Sealing Circle"

"Sun sign~ Royal Flare," declared the Magician, raising her spellcard in synch with the Shrine Maiden.

A wide circle surrounded the two combatants while the world exploded in orange light.

* * *

_Nrgh... What the hell happened? Darn it feels cold..._

Rook reached to touch his head before wincing, his body was stiff and sore as if he just ran six marathons without a break. Or maybe that was just an understatement. He felt tired, exhausted, drained, whatever more words the thesaurus has to offer, he was dead beat and wanted nothing more than to lie down and relax. He had done enough for one night.

Still, his conscience poked its ugly face from the darkness of his closed eyes and yelled at him to get up and fight. He half heartedly agreed with it that it was right, time was in the essence and he had a village to save. Now that he thought of it, he began to question his motives and reviewed them briefly.

Why was he doing this? It was to clear the mist and return summer to the land so that the village's crops will be able to grow in time for winter. By also partaking in resolving the incident, Rook will be able to unlock a few of the resident's memories. The first was Hong and if he can just get Patchouli out of the picture then all he had to do was to convince Remilia. Not an easy job but it was killing two birds with one lightning bolt.

Is it really worth it? Well if things went well and as planned, he would have regained a bit of Remilia's memories and trust to secure his place at the mansion by telling her what really happened all those years ago. The lives of those three, Hong, Remilia, and Flandre, can't go on if they're living based on a lie the Magician told them. They had to know the truth. He knew it was going to be hard, but it was either he succeeded or die trying.

Was he ready for the consequences? In terms of power no, but if one would ask about his plans then yes.

And do those plans involve sacrificing some poor sap or manipulating another person to be achieved? Only if things get ugly. Besides, the only poor sap that's worth sacrificing and manipulating was the Magician since she was the one who started this whole mess.

"But then again... Does she deserve it?"

Rook shot up at the sound of the voice, causing a groan to escape his lips while clutching his throbbing head. He was so immersed in his own thoughts that he didn't recognize that he was giving answers to something else. Something that wasn't part of his internal monologue.

"An internal monologue in your own mind? Now isn't that just a tad bit redundant seeing as your corporeal form is unconscious outside of your mind's boundaries?"

He turned his head from left to right, gazing deep into the void. He was in a black world; though not necessarily dark enough to obscure his vision, but the range of what his eyes can perceive were limited. He can't see beyond five feet in front of him and there was this strange silver smoke covering the floor. What he found stranger was that the voice seemed familiar. In fact, he heard it whisper to him a number of times in the past. It was familiar, yet he couldn't place his finger on to whom it belonged to...

"Yukari?" called out Rook, spinning in place to take in more of his surroundings. Everything was dark so it could pass for being the Gap Demon's world, however it lacked the armada of golden eyes staring into his soul.

"Oh... Not even close," the voice broke into a fit of giggling like that of a high school girl finding her crush funny, "Strange how I'm easily compared to that woman, we're not even the same age."

_This... Is this an illusion?_ Thought Rook as glared from one direction to another.

"Oh stop thinking with your thoughts, I can hear them perfectly," said the voice, sweet yet poisonous, "And to answer your question, no, this is no illusion. Might as well be since it's all in your head. You passed out after your last battle and your conscious mind has retreated to your subconscious, allowing us both to speak for the first time in five years."

"What do you want?" asked Rook, "And who are you? What are you doing in my head?"

"Hmm, one at a time, Rook. One at a time," whispered the voice with a hint of mischievousness hidden in it, "To answer your first question, no, I do not want anything from you. As for the second, I am but a poor lowly soul. And now for the third..."

The indulged itself in a long pause, apparently testing Rook's patience.

"The third is that I am your guardian angel," it finished. Rook could hear a series of muffled giggling.

"Look, I don't have time for games, so if you'll be so kind and show yourself," requested Rook, keeping a wary eye at whatever may come out.

"Hmm, oh well why not?" said the voice coming to his right.

Rook was hardly surprised yet stunned at the same time. Long flowing green hair, a point blue cone hat with a sun upon it while wearing a blue vest and dress, the owner of the voice adorned herself with a long blue cape with yellow trimmings while a single chain dangled at her left side. However the strangest thing was not her green hair, long cape, and crescent sceptre, but it was that in the place of her legs was large white blob with a tail. It also appeared that this woman was floating.

A grin upon her face and a mischievous glint shining behind her eyes, the Evil Spirit of Makai has made her entrance.

"Lady Mima, conqueror of the Weathered Heavens, retired Grand Sorceress of the Order of Mundus Igneuim, and slayer of the Great Ten Crowned Dragon," said Rook, catching his breath before resuming with a question, "Why am I not surprised?"

"It's because it'll take more than ten small star ranked obliteration hex for you to acknowledge my feats!" replied the Evil Spirit, crossing her arms under her chest, "And don't give me that look!"

"It's common knowledge that all of those titles are completely bull," deadpanned Rook, clearly not happy being in the presence of one of the most annoying beings that has ever existed, "Look, I don't have time for this. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sealed up along with... Uh... You know, that thing you were suppose to seal up?"

"Actually I am, and it's supposed to be me asking you about your business here," said Mima, "Seems like your subconscious plane is connected to my dagger currently sheathed on your corporeal form's chest, with the magic creating a bridge for your consciousness to travel from your mind and into here..."

"It was an accident, I passed out and didn't know where I was going," explained Rook sheepishly, "I'm only human you know? I make mistakes too."

"And a damn lot if I were to remind you," said the Evil Spirit, "Hmm, you know what dear acquaintance? I think that librarian girl packs quite a punch if you push the right buttons. And boy howdy did you push them right and hard. What is it with you and biting off more than you can chew?"

"Not your business," muttered Rook, turning his back against the Spirit.

"Oh it might as well be since what used to be _my_ dagger which now holds _my_ essence is now yours," said Mima with a hint of irritation in her tone, "If you were do get vaporized right there and then, how do you suppose I'm going to last another minute without magic, hm?"

"Wait, what?" asked Rook, turning to face the Spirit.

"Rook, technically and as embarrassing as it sounds, my dagger belongs to you and by proxy, so am I, or my power rather..." explained the Spirit, "In order to survive, I absorb what excess energy you release and convert it into my own, storing it into the dagger and adding it to what little power I have left there. Before you ask, no, I can't use the power to break myself out of this damned seal, and the only thing I can do with it is to use it against the whore of a Spirit that got me here in the first place, driving her back into the deepest recesses of her prison which now acts as my own. I'm kinda like her warden and the power you give off is like my coffee."

"Strange way of putting things but what of this... Power? Your power?" asked Rook, apparently interested now. He thought about it for a moment and added, "So you're some kind of parasite?"

"You remember that battle with the ice fairy? I suppose Yukari already told you that you about it that you can extract my stored mana from the dagger and use it as your own brand of energy," Mima inhaled a deep breath before continuing, causing Rook to wonder how the Evil Spirit gain lungs to breathe, "What she didn't tell you is that you can reach into my dormant power, the power of Reincarnation and my vast knowledge on magic. You can use it to expand the limited space to house power your body can receive for a brief space of time. You can use my power as if you were back in your prime and if you're creative enough, you can create new attacks and spellcards to aid you in battle."

"Yeah, but the only catch is that there's a risk of the darkness consuming me and turning me into an evil nut job. And I have no plans of becoming one," said Rook with his hands raised in defense.

"A small Price to pay for a tremendous power, Yukari was very wise to inform you of this," Mima clicked her tongue while closing her eyes, "Dark magic is something that's very beautiful and yet very dangerous. However if you learn to control it, bend it to your will, then you'll have a greater chance of fighting the darkness and accomplishing in doing good."

Mima opened her eyes and raised her crescent sceptre towards Rook, "All you need is a little willpower and a strong resolve. You have my power at your disposal ad you have the knowledge of its limitless potential. Remain strong while using this gift and you will be unstoppable. Feel free to use it anytime, not that it will do me any good in long run... So what say you, savvy?"

Rook thought about it for a moment. With that kind of power he would be able to take on Patchouli and win, but then again he already knew that from the start, however with Mima now in person, telling him herself of what kind of power he possesses and its potential, it was just... Tempting.

He knew of the consequence if he didn't use its power. It would consume him, but Mima said that he just needed a bit of willpower and resolve to keep it under control. The question is, did he have some kind of resolve by now? Was it strong enough to light his way through the temptation?

Rook thought long and hard. His memories of Yukari's explanation flooding his vision. He could see the illusion Yukari set up against him, how he single handily killed the dummy Reimu without remorse to save Flandre. That was when he was in the influence of the dagger for twenty whole minutes, what'll happen if he somehow used it longer than that? The result would be nothing but catastrophic.

Mima was playing something here and he knew it. She was offering him her own power and said that she can't use it anyway. As paranoid as it sounds, what if she has some kind of other motive? She was still an Evil Spirit, and Evil Spirits do what they do best: mess up anyone's life at the first given opportunity. This was Mima the Vengeful Spirit of Makai; she was a deceiver and a liar, he can't just trust her that easily. He had to rethink his thoughts.

He needed that power, and he wasn't about to walk away from this situation without that power. But then again, it wasn't said that he'll have to use it all the time from then on. Rook could hear the faint echo of Yukari's warning years ago.

"_I suggest you limit your use of the dagger and don't completely rely on it, mmkay?"_

_Don't rely on it..._

"Say Mima..." Rook gazed deep into the Spirit's blue eyes.

"Yes?"

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep? Why haven't I met you until now, huh?"

Mima's face broke into a smile, "With all of the commotion and magical disturbances, I couldn't help but stir from my slumber."

"So you were asleep for all of those past years?"

"Yes, but I did catch a few glimpses of your adventures in the Outside..."

"Then you're no more or less than being the Evil Spirit you really are."

The Spirit's face scrunched up in confusion. "What? I don't understand."

"I'll put it simply then; Old Habits Die Hard. Ever heard of that?" asked Rook, though it didn't seem like he was asking for an actual answer, "You have the intention of helping me, but you wouldn't be able resist of taking advantage of whatever mess I do after using your power. It's in your nature to destroy, manipulate, and control. Heck, you might be seeing me now not as Rook, but a tool just like Yukari does. You said you were asleep all the time, right? So it seems like you really haven't changed enough in the course of five years, meaning you're still the same Evil Spirit that annoys the heck out of Reimu during Thursday nights. And from what I see, I'm guessing since I'm the only one you can annoy, you'll be focusing your attention on me by either tricking me or putting me into tight spots."

Rook released a sigh before finally finishing, "Look, I may be taking this the wrong way and I know that even you mean good, I can't just plunge my hand into your candy bowl and start eating since it's too much of a risk for me to take... Just to be safe, I'll be going with what Yukari says and limit the use of your power. Though I'll have to thank you for filling in a few blanks."

The Evil Spirit blinked twice before clucking in disappointment, "Being paranoid cannot be good for your health... But a good precaution nevertheless if I fall back to my unsavoury habits. But ponder this Rook, if I wanted to cause wanton havoc that is beyond anyone's control, do you really think that a seal such as the one I am in now or that I need to influence your actions to do so?"

The Human felt a chill run down his spine as she said that. What was she implying?

"I am your guardian angel, and I'm also your devil, choose wisely if you wish to listen to me~" sung Mima, twirling her sceptre before tossing it into the air and catching it with her left hand.

"Alright then... All I need to do is absorb power from the knife, right?" asked Rook, suddenly feeling unsure.

"Yep~ Remember and try to limit your use of it since you're still lacking on two factors," The Evil Spirit held out her index finger, "One is that you lack resolve, the darkness will indeed consume you past the six minute mark," she then raised her middle finger along with her index, "Two is that your body still can't accommodate that amount of power, so until you release the energy stored, you don't have to worry about fatigue taking over."

"I see, thanks."

"Now hurry, Reimu's a strong girl but I doubt she can win without your help," the Evil Spirit muttered spell under her breath and soon a circle surrounded Rook's boots. "Good luck and I'll be watching..."

* * *

Reimu clashed against Patchouli's shield and was sent back a couple of feet. Dashing from left to right, she managed to dodge two yellow bullets headed her way. Raising her right hand in the air, she summoned her Ying Yang orbs and began to fire a continuous stream of paper charms. The Magician answered with purple bullets being fired at machine gun speed. Reimu was holding out well on her own, but she can tell that this bean sprout was a tough cookie.

She reached deep within her dress pocket and drew a fistful of violet ofudas before tossing them into the air. The charms flew, all homing towards the Magician while leaving a trail of violet behind. Patchouli acted accordingly and shot upwards, the charms hot on her tail. She spun around to face the missiles behind her and fire a couple of chaffs to send them off.

It worked and now aside from the ofuda bursts from the Miko's orbs, there wasn't anything she should be worried about for the moment. Wait... The Ying Yang orbs were hovering all by themselves, then where was—

_**SMACK**_

Patchouli was sent crashing into the ground like a dead fly. Lifting her head up, the Magician ran a finger through the thick red line across right cheek and winced at the pain. She gritted her teeth and gave the flying Shrine Maiden a glare that could freeze blood in place. Reimu didn't seem to be impressed by the look she was being given, and instead seemed a little bored at the lack of challenge.

"Stupid Deus Ex Machina, coming out of nowhere..." The Magician's dark muttering slowly descended into a spell chant.

Reimu ripped her gohei tightly as her opponent slowly rose back into the air. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as five strange stones of different colors appear out of nowhere and start circling the chanting sorceress. Whatever was happening, Reimu only had little time to stop it before—

"Five Elements~ Philosopher's Stone!"

_Shit!_ Cursed Reimu as five books were conjured from thin air and began firing five different bullet patterns at the same time. The Shrine Maiden bobbed and weaved through the attack, struggling to find an opening for her to shoot and break the spellcard but everything was too hectic. There were flying red stones, green stones, yellow stones, blue stones, and white stones all headed in random directions.

With a strangled yelp, Reimu back flipped in mid-air and crossed her arms in front of her as a green stone impacted with her skin. The Shrine Maiden was pushed back, her forearms taking the brunt of the hit and experiencing the most pain, but it didn't stop Reimu from activating her spellcard at the last minute.

"Divine Spirit~ Fantasy Seal!"

Five multicoloured orbs burst into existence and circled Reimu, vaporizing any stones that were coming her way. Sending a single thought through the orbs, they all flew towards Patchouli, hitting her one at a time in a grand explosion, eradicating any bullet that got in their way.

The dust cleared and Patchouli was still whole and intact, albeit a little exhausted and dishevelled.

"Geez, at least the maid had some decency to give up," growled Reimu as she had her Ying Yang orbs at the ready while she slowly descended to the ground. She was going to watch the Magician charge up for another attack when something caught both their attention.

Lying with his back against the floor, Rook was finally showing signs of regaining consciousness. There was one problem though.

Rook pushed himself into a sitting position while placing a hand upon his temple. He gazed at his left hand and watched as red electricity coursed through his fingers. Reimu glanced at Patchouli and saw that her face was paper white from shock; the Shrine Maiden couldn't help but smirk at that. It was kinda funny.

Apparently the whole point of the battle was to distract the librarian long enough for the idiot to recover. Still, Reimu couldn't help but be wary of the red lightning racing through Rook's body. It was horribly familiar, exactly the same power that he displayed five years ago when she first implemented the Spellcard Rules. A power that can tear her barriers apart with ease.

That was when the Magician chose to attack, sending a pillar of fire and ice running towards Rook. The Human's instincts kicked in and he dodged, thrusting his arm out and sending a crimson lightning bolt to counter. There was a deafening bang and the bolt took a chunk of the bookshelf a few meters away from where Patchouli was hovering. It was clear to everyone that the Human intentionally missed his mark.

A warning.

"Reimu," he called, turning his attention to the Red-White Shrine Maiden, "I'll handle things here, you go up ahead and find the Mistress of the mansion. Do not take her lightly and be careful. She'll tear you into ribbons if given the chance. Am I understood?"

"Wait, since when do you get to—"

"Hakurei. Am. I. Understood?" said Rook with an edge on his voice. A tone he hadn't used on the Shrine Maiden for a long, long time.

"Fine," Reimu turned to leave before saying, "Don't take too long or else you'll miss the party."

"Duly noted," replied Rook.

Patchouli had enough of this charade and decided to speak, "If you think I'm about to let you go then you're wrong!"

A wide purple laser threatened to engulf Reimu when it was suddenly dispelled by a lightning bolt. Rook was slowly making his way towards her with his left hand raised up to his chest, crackling with red electricity lashing out with small tendrils.

"I'm your opponent. This our fight. And I'm not going to let you involve anyone else here," said Rook in a firm steely tone, "I'm going to finish this right here, right now, one way or another..."

The Human then reached within his coat and drew a twelve inch long silver dagger from its sheathe hidden underneath it.

_**Would you like some assistance? I fear that this is where we hit the crossroads...**_

Rook ignored the voice as he had a split second to decide. He had the power; he can easily defeat Patchouli and make sure she doesn't get in his way for a long while. This was his chance to end her, kill her so that she'll never bother him again. So that he'll be able to work on retrieving the Scarlet Sister's memories without a hitch, no one will stand in his way and never again would he allow anyone to. Besides, by ending her, he can relieve her of her suffering and shame. He couldn't let a monster like her to live, but would killing her make him a monster himself?

He didn't like the idea of being a murderer, even if the one he'll be killing was the Magician. But then again it was necessary, though he didn't know what kind of consequences will it bring him, but it was just a small price to pay. No, he won't kill her, leave her bruised and battered yes, but not kill her. It's better that way since he'll leave a mark... A warning for her to never dare cross his path.

Or maybe there was another way of dealing with her without hurting her. As twisted as she may be, Patchouli... No, Cynthia was still a person. He had known her or a very long time, and knew who she was. Can he take up his powers and stone her to death as easily as he could to a fly? He would have to leave a mark, yes, but hurting her didn't seem necessary as of now. She was in his way; he needed to get her out of the picture. Indulging in her suffering was nothing but for his personal amusement, and that was not part of resolving an incident. He can chew her out later, but he'll need something to shut her up for awhile.

He'll have to talk to her... With that, he can send her a warning, though much more subtle than the first choice. There's no guarantee that she won't bite back once he'd finished his job.

_**Your choice, Rook?**_

_Shut up, Mima, _he snarled internally before saying out loud, "I don't have time for games and I really need to be somewhere as of now. But then again maybe I can cut loose if you let me speak for a moment. Hear me out on this one, Cynthia..."

**{Good Gauge increased!}**

**{4 gauges! New ability unlocked!}**

Patchouli blinked twice for a moment before crumpling her brow in a frown, "If you think that you'll be able to talk your way out of this one, then I'm sorry but you'll be long dead before you'll get to finish."

"I won't attack unless you do," Rook slashed his dagger upwards to cut a Danmaku orb into two, "What the hell is wrong with you, woman?!"

"Fight me..." whispered the Magician, looking absolutely livid.

"NO!"roared Rook, causing Patchouli to go slack jawed in the middle of a chant. "I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS MOTHERFUCKING CHARADE! PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE AT STAKE AND ALL YOU CARE IS ABOUT BEATING THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME?! BY THE GODS I'LL LET YOU HAVE A BITE BUT NOT NOW, DAMN IT!"

The electricity coursing through Rook's arms seemed to be affected by his mood, they seemed skittish and agitated at the Human's outburst. "There... Hasn't been a godsdamned day that I haven't thought about atoning for my sins. There hasn't been a fucking year, where I didn't think 'Oh if only I didn't do this and that, things would've turned out swell and pretty' BUT HELL NO!"

Rook bent down and placed his gloved hands on his knees, gasping for breath. "I'm tired Patchouli. I'm exhausted. And I bet those two corpses are too. How can you sleep at night knowing what you're telling them is a lie? How can you sleep at night knowing that behind the mask of a charismatic head of the house and mad vampire of the basement are two scared, confused little girls. Granted that they're well over a century years old but still, they're just a two stupid, idiotic, plain annoying kids. Consequences be damned, I'm not going to let this kind of cycle to go on in the mansion I built."

"You're a fool Rook, are you even using your brain or did you accidentally cook it? Those two are no ready—"

"But they are! What better chance then than now? If not now, then when Patchouli?! One way or another they will find out, hide it as long as you want and I know I've said this before but the fate has a funny way of running things since the truth always surfaces at a bad time."

"You're asking for something big Rook... "

"I know, we're just re-enacting what happened five years ago. That argument we had, it's just like this one... Things weren't supposed or have to be this way Patchouli. You know that as much as I do. You wouldn't want to wake up one morning to find your limbs floating along a river and the Scarlet Devil watching you slowly die. I've been paying the price for my sins and errors for two hundred years. And I'm tired of doing so. I just want... I just want my family back. Leave them in good hands; I knew you had two until the time you turned and... well...made my life hell.."

"You're right; fate has a funny way of running things... But then again, mankind never allowed it to control his actions, right? People change and most of them do so for the better. We all have our paths to take. I took mine and you took yours. We got into an argument and here we are now, at each other's throats, ready to tear the other person apart."

"So I guess you're still going to kill me..."

"At the end of the day, that is the only thing that I have in mind, Chess Piece. This madness won't end unless you die, or unless I die. We will continue manipulating the people around us to gain the upper hand. Do not deny it Rook, you're more than ready to use whatever resources you have against me..."

The Human was silent for a moment before a sigh escaped his lips. "You know what? Go on..."

"What?" said Patchouli, looking puzzled.

"I don't care anymore. I won't chase you, I won't kill you, but I swear to the gods above and below do as much as hurt anyone I know I will end you. You want to kill me? Fine, kill me. You want to make me suffer, show me my past errors and rub the salt in my wounds? Go ahead make you day. I don't care about you or your vendetta against me, you're a lost cause and I really thought all of this time that I might be able to beat some sense into you. Right now... Right now just proves that you're hopeless. I shouldn't be wasting all my efforts on arguing with someone so impossible."

The Magician stared at him with her mouth hanging open. Was he really giving up just like that?

"You're a waste of space, go read book or something," said Rook as he walked past the purple mage as if she wasn't a threat at all, "If you want to continue our little game then I already have the Mad Queen at my side and the Pawn convinced. Your Scarlet King's about to be castled and you... You're all the way at the other side of the board with no one around you. You already lost. Your allies are breaking apart from within."

"It was a good game," he continued, "You just didn't try hard enough..."

"Don't... You dare turn your back on me!" Patchouli walked towards him and swung her black book on his head. Except she never hit her mark.

Rook disappeared in a thick curtain of mist before materializing behind the Magician, grabbing her by the hood and sending her to the floor. She struggled to get back on her feet only to be stopped as the Human placed a heavy boot on her stomach. Rook drew his gun and pulled the slide. He took his foot off the Magician so that he can get a clear shot of her, lying there helpless too shaken to block the bullet.

"It's not over yet... It's not over yet, Corvi—"

_**BANG**_

_**BANG**_

_**BANG**_

_**BANG**_

_**BANG**_

_**BANG**_

Rook calmly placed his gun back on its holster and walked away. He didn't kill her; just put her to sleep till everything came to pass. It was for her own good, the girl could get herself into trouble if she continued.

"I'm sorry... Not sure if I meant that..." he whispered, red electricity still coursing through him. And then he was gone...

For a few minutes, there was silence. It wasn't long when a figure walked out of the darkness and knelt beside Patchouli's dart riddle form. Koakuma affectionately ran her fingers down her mistress cheeks, eventually finding their way on the first dart on her shoulder and yanking them out.

"Ahh, my poor, poor mistress..." she crooned, placed her fingers around the next dart on Patchouli's forearm, "You poor, sad little girl. Don't worry. He may have made a deal with two Devils, but you'll always have me, right?"

The little devil's left hand to glow a dark blue aura as she placed it on her unconscious mistress' forehead.

"It is my pleasure to be your servant; it is my pain to watch you suffer. You should've let me help you. I know you care for me, but I will always protect you from everything. I know you mean well, but you are foolish. Koa will unlock you, don't worry... You'll get him, I'm sure you will..."

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: Patchy had it coming, you all know that. Yeah, yeah, I should've got this at the first day of the month as schedule but the internet had to screw up and leaving me in the dark for the past ten days. As much as I wanted to post the chapter, I ha to wait. But the wait was worth it, since during my time of internet drepivation, I managed to work on three fics at once._

_Good news, I managed to right most of Endless Echo's next chapter. Things are gonna go a dark turn, but we'll be back in the light sooner than you can say the longest word in the english language._

_Good news, I managed to progress in the Parsee fic I've been staring a the whole year. Here's to hoping I finish it._

_Good news, Laevateinn 18 is well under way! I'm gonna make it the best of the best! Or maybe not..._

_Well that's all for now, don't forget to rate and review, comment, and tell me your thoughts! _

_I'll see you all in the next chapter, See ya!_

_Yahoo~!_


	21. Chapter 14: Against the Crimson King, 1

_Nicolas Notes: Eyyyyy, hey guys, how's it going?_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou or any other Touhou related materials.**  
_

* * *

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**CHAPTER 14: Against The Crimson King, 1**

**Year: 2005**

**2:35 Anti-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Hallways, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rook collapsed after walking for twenty straight minutes without rest in his battered body. Mima wasn't kidding, he barely made in time to cut off the power he was taking from the dagger before it corrupted him. He felt dizzy and dazed. This must be an after effect after using the dagger, just like Yukari told him a long time ago. He couldn't even walk straight and had to lean against a wall to prevent himself from falling.

Unfortunately, what little strength he had left had just left him. At the moment, he was involuntarily face-first in the scarlet carpet that covered the floor, unable to quite pull himself up yet. With little trouble, he forced himself to sit up with his back against the wall. He breathed two deep, slow breaths before unzipping his belt bag and reaching for a vial. He uncorked it and drunk it in one gulp. The familiar warmth soon covered his tired limbs and sore body. It didn't exactly heal him back to his best condition, but it was enough for him to rest properly and gain a little energy to defend himself.

He checked his person and found that there were no injuries or burns, all thanks to his spellcard. Speaking of spellcards, it seemed like he converted his usual ability into one. He reached deep within his pant pocket and drew it out to the light. It was like any normal spellcard he encountered lately, only that had the image of a checkered of box. This card supposedly increased his invincibility and resistance to pain by quite a number. Like the usual 'Checkmate' it granted him inhuman reflexes and speed along with a sharp perception and focus.

He would have to hold on to this for awhile and hide it along with his other spells. Not that it was his first spellcard, it was just he never found any use for them until now. Random youkais were easy to beat even without them if he knew how to fight. Still, despite the card's perks, it had a few familiar drawbacks only made worse. The Price was close to unbearable after the spell times out and the time he was allowed to have it active was cut from the usual five minutes into two.

He had half of his mind to say that spellcards were powerful but unreliable. He felt much more comfortable with his normal attacks instead of relying on spells that could only be shot from one angle. Rook thought about it for a moment. Since Gensokyo almost ran on spellcards from now on, it was going to be inevitable for him to use a spellcard or two. He might as well practice on making more just to be safe.

Rook hid the card in his pouch and released a sigh. Reimu should have probably wrapped this up by now. Strange how there's no explosions occurring yet. The Human then closed his eyes and reached deep within, somewhere around his consciousness and gave the place a mental poke.

_**Ngrh... Huh? What's your problem?**_

"Just experimenting," said Rook at the sound of Mima's voice.

_**I see... Well at least you have a grasp on how to communicate with me, instead of the other way around. The living are stronger than the dead you know...**_

"Right. Anyway, I'm kinda curious. How's your prisoner holding up in there?"

_**People may find it weird if you talk to yourself, but to answer your question, she's kind of agitated when you pull my power out of nowhere. Is that really all of it? I could use some sleep now...**_

"You sound like Yukari. Marisa's going to be thrilled if she knew about you."

_**No.**_

"Huh? What's wrong?"

_**She's better off without me. A fine young woman she'll turn out to be without my bad influence.**_

"You almost sound like you planned on sealing yourself on purpose before that fiasco began."

_**Hmm, maybe I did...I'll be watching her like I'm her guardian angel as I am to you. I think I spent enough of my energy talking to you; we may not speak again for some time, good night.**_

With that, everything went quiet. Maybe it was for the better that she didn't change. Some things aren't meant to move on like the rest of the world.

"Have I changed?" he asked to no one in particular, he was almost surprised to hear someone respond.

"If you keep talking to yourself like that, then I'll have to say you did."

Rook let out a sigh at that, "Just what did I tell you to do, Reimu? Can't you understand simple instructions?"

The Shrine Maiden smiled at his words, "Hey, I'm in a rebellious age. I'm not the same girl you used to teach how to fight, Rook..."

"Shouldn't you be resolving this incident?" asked the Human with a raised eyebrow.

"Shouldn't you be helping me out instead of questioning unnecessary things in a middle of the incident?" retorted Reimu, waiting for a few seconds before adding, "Sir?"

Rook blinked twice as he studied her youthful face before saying, "I swear that turtle's a bad influence."

The Shrine Maiden offered him her hand and helped him stand up. For a girl of her age and physique, she was strong. Rook let her go and began dusting off dirt and dust from his clothes. When he looked up, he saw that Reimu was the same as ever only that she grew up a little. Just as she said earlier, she wasn't the little girl who waved her gohei proudly during her first day in training; she was now a young woman strong enough to beat the crap out of anyone and anything that came in her way.

Just like her mother.

"Good to have you back, Rook," said Reimu with one of her rare genuine smiles.

"Yeah, can't say the same about Gensokyo. The place is a mess, shouldn't you have resolved this weeks ago?" asked Rook looking a bit annoyed, like a parent would when he caught his child slacking off instead of studying for the exams.

"Um, yes, but that Guard was one tough nut to crack, she wouldn't let me in!" explained Reimu, like a child finding an excuse for her parent on not studying for the exams.

"That's because you've been neglecting your training. I'll be having a few words with your turtle to change that, understand?"

"Yes, dad."

"Call me that again and I swear I'm going to kick you, young lady!"

"What? You go through this all the time with every maiden you taught. I bet my mom called you 'dad' at least twice."

"Reimu, shut up."

"Right," said the Shrine Maiden with a nod as she began to whistle to herself a pleasant tune, not that it helped to ease Rook's temper. "So, where we headed now, gramps?"

Rook worked hard not to blast her right there and then, "We head to the throne room. That's probably the only place she'll go seeing its past midnight. This is usually her time for tea."

"I bet it's gonna be hard for her to get her tea when her maid's out of action," replied Reimu as she watched her companion get ready, "You okay? You don't look so good."

"It's nothing. Just an after effect of my spellcard," explained Rook, placing a hand on his sore shoulder. That was when Reimu pasted a charm on his forehead, making him look like one of the corpses Japanese onmyouji revived and summoned. "What the hell?"

"Healing tag, it should soothe your pains. Now come on, old geezer, grab my hand and I'll carry you," said the Shrine Maiden, grabbing Rook's arm instead of him grabbing hers. With a solid kick on the floor, they were in the air.

* * *

The girl was waiting for her guests while sitting on her throne. Growing bored for the past hour or so, she decided to walk around for a bit, looking at her parents' inheritance; the throne of the head Scarlet. She gave the entirety of the throne room a bored glance before resting her gaze at the window. Living for so long within these halls, its beauty and splendour no longer interested her. Instead, the girl had her attention upon two intruders within her walls.

As the sole owner of her estate, the girl possessed the ability to know what was happening on every corner of her home save for a number of places. They were close; a smile crept upon her lips. It was quite a shame that she was full already; she won't be able to make room for another meal. She considered tossing their battered bodies into her sister's domain, however decided against it. There was one particular intruder which she was familiar with. The girl closed her scarlet eyes and thought once more.

Yes, she knew this one. Oh how her blood boils at the thought of him humiliating her. Times have changed since then, this time, she will kill him. For all that he has done, he will pay dearly and death seemed to be too tame for him to experience.

But there was this other intruder next to him. A companion? What would he need one for when he singlehandedly tore down their defences the last time he visited. Something was amiss. Within the abyss of her long lived mind, a memory resurfaces. With a snap of her fingers she remembered. Yes, exactly five years ago not a few days after the first assault on the mansion. Patchouli asked her to weave fate under her will and tug at a specific thread.

A thread of power which she cut.

But she didn't care. The girl knew that whatever she had done, she had struck a blow upon the man that trespassed upon her property and poisoned her already insane sister's mind. It was more than enough. The pieces were in place. Her pawns may have fallen but she still remains standing. She won't let him win, no, she won't even consider killing him. He deserves a fate much, much worse.

The girl approached the window and gazed up to the scarlet moon above. She was at her strongest, she will not lose. Tonight, fate bows before her once again.

"Let them come. I'll be right here, waiting..." she whispered softly to herself. She flapped her leather wings, causing a small gust to blow. The vampire slowly turned towards the door of her throne room, a single tiny form was fluttering towards her.

"Lady Remilia?" called the fairy maid, carrying a tray of snacks and tea, "Y-you called for tea?"

"Ah, yes," replied Remilia, slowly making her way to the fairy. One look at the trembling fairy told her that her maid was troubled about something, "Is there something wrong, my dear?"

"Oh, ah, it's just... Some of my friends have gone missing and we all did a head count at the evacuation area," the fairy muttered nervously, "A-and we found out that there were twelve fairies missing... M-M-Milady, I think something's gone horribly wrong..."

The vampire seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before saying, "You're right. Something is wrong... There weren't twelve fairies missing..."

"I-I beg your pardon?"

Remilia could only smile at the maid's naivety; she slowly leaned forward, causing the fairy to go red, "As of now, there are thirteen fairies missing..."

And then she sank her fangs on the maid's neck.

* * *

"So how did you deal with her? The purple girl I mean..." asked Reimu after a long uncomfortable silence. All around them, the world was nothing more than a red blur as Reimu flew at breakneck speed. There seemed to be no living soul left in the mansion hearing that they haven't encountered any noise aside from the whispers of the wind as they tore through the air. Reimu kept a swaying flight pattern as she had observed how dangerously low those fancy lightings were despite the corridor's huge size.

Rook had to blink three times to keep his eyes from watering as the winds slapped him, "Huh, what? Oh you mean Patchouli? Just a few bullets at point blank range and she was out. No more, no less."

"You didn't kill her?" asked Reimu with a raised eyebrow, "She looked more than ready to kill you looking back there..."

"If I were to kill her instead of... Putting her to sleep... Then what difference would that make between us?" replied Rook in a solemn tone. It seemed like he regretted not finishing the job and ridding himself of an old problem. He was about to bet all of the silver coins he had that Patchouli was going to hunt him down after all of this is done. "If I did that, I'll be the same as her. Anyhow, why are you so interested? Would you like it if I did end her?"

"What? Me? Of course not, because if you did it's my job as Shrine Maiden to kick your sorry ass out of Gensokyo," answered Reimu in a haughty manner, "We can't have someone as powerful as you running around killing anyone on whim..."

"Reimu... That's the most mature thing that I've ever heard coming out of your mouth," said Rook in mock awe, though from a bystander's perspective it was pretty convincing.

"Shut up," barked Reimu while rolling her eyes. She knew more than to fall for the Human's tricks. Her command however caused Rook to snicker, much to the Shrine Maiden's chagrin, "So yeah, it doesn't mean that I'm... Uh, lazy! Doesn't mean that I'm going to let a potential killer like you roaming around."

"You sound like that crazy cop princess at the Human Village," commented Rook, "And for your information, my dear bird-eyed friend, there are more dangerous people other than me here in this Wonderland of yours, so I'll appreciate the attention you're giving me but someone else deserves it. Heck, A trigger-happy, kleptomaniac, borderline psychotic, laser-shooting love maniac of a witch who lives practically next door to you and probably makes house calls thrice a week for snacks. Shouldn't you be—"

"I'll be grateful if you drop the subject now," said the Shrine Maiden in an icy tone. Wounds heal yet scars remain, Rook got the message and immediately shut up. He instead told Reimu to head left once they hit a fork, which she did. Afterwards, Rook directed her towards the right and told that they should be heading east. Apparently they were at the West wing and that they unfortunately exited through the back exit of the library instead of the entrance so both of them had to go around the entire mansion in order to reach the main hallway.

So far they haven't encountered any sort of threats. They decided to stop for a couple of times so Reimu can catch her breath, carrying Rook around made her arms sore and throbbing. If this kept up then she'll have a pair of biceps to boast about, the Tengu were going to have a field day if they heard about it. During the time they navigated through the mansion, Reimu's attention was cut between flying and avoiding any incoming objects like chandeliers, or stealing a glance at Rook's coat. She knew that inside of it was the dagger, Mima's dagger. She only tried to hide it yet she heard Rook's conversation with the supposedly Sealed Spirit.

There were a couple of things that bugged her. One is that Rook became quiet after he asked Mima if she planned the whole 'sealing' thing just to escape from Marisa. She didn't really know if the Evil Spirit did all of that sacrifice just to avoid her apprentice. The second was this 'Yukari' person. She seemed important, and the name seemed to ring a bell yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Asking Rook would only earn her a lie since he wasn't the type of person to talk about deep stuff, and her intuition told her that this topic was 'deep stuff'.

She decided to put t at the back of her mind for now. First she had to resolve this incident and then that's the time she asked Genji. The turtle was ancient so he was bound to know a thing or two about this Yukari woman.

"Reimu, drop me," barked Rook. The Shrine Maiden didn't bother asking why and dropped him, immediately she felt lighter and began to rise up in the air. Half a second later, a knife flew through the spot where she was flying before, causing Reimu to hover in the air as she searched for the culprit. Rook on the other hand transformed himself into mist just before he hit the ground, materializing only to glare angrily at the enemy in front of them.

Hovering thirty feet away from the grounded Human and the flying Shrine Maiden was a maid in torn clothing. A chunk of her right sleeve torn off as she sported more rips and bruises all over her person. A large cut on her skirt reached all the way up to her hip, revealing her well toned, flawless thigh, which Rook might have found indecent at other times. Actually he might have found it a good idea to look away, but seeing how this maid was unlike any other in terms of hostility; it was only wise for him to keep his attention on her.

Sakuya Izayoi, despite being worse for wear, seemed more than ready to take on the intruders that shamed her not once but two times in one night. She gripped three knives between her left and right hands before tossing the first three at Reimu while the others flew towards Rook. As expected, two intruders either dodged the knives delivered to them or blocked with the use of their power.

"You just won't give up won't you?" Reimu said in disdain.

"Geez, what'd you do to her?" asked Rook, turning to the Shrine Maiden above him, only to stare at his feet as his face turned slightly pink.

"Hey, don't look up, pervert!" snapped the Shrine Maiden with a handful of ofudas in her right hand.

"This isn't really the time for this," grumbled Rook, his eyes resting upon the frustrated maid in their path.

Sakuya only closed her eyes and sighed before saying, "This is as far as both of you can go. I've got to at least make you both waste a bomb or two before the mistress gets mad..."

"You," barked Reimu, unnecessarily pointing her gohei at the maid, "Why don't you just be a good maid and run some errands?"

"Well sorry to disappoint you, but I'm a very, very bad maid..." snarled Sakuya, the world exploding into a legion of knives all aimed towards Reimu.

The Shrine Maiden twirled and spun as knife after knife flew past her, causing tiny rips to appear on her dress as they grazed her. She then summoned her Ying Yang orbs, sweeping a wave of knives out of the air as the black white spheres orbited around their summoner. Rook on the other hand, despite being not the focus of the attack, was not faring well as it literally rained knives over him.

"Hey watch it!" he shouted, yet Reimu failed to hear as she was too busy fending off wave after wave of knives and even smaller kunais.

Squeezing between a gap between a knife and kunai, Reimu fired off a barrage of needles and amulets. Sakuya was caught by surprise and was forced to back flip in mid-air, allowing the volley to pass harmlessly overhead. She retaliated with another set of knives yet Reimu wasn't going to succumb that easily and responded with her own set of needles and paper charms.

The projectiles hit dead center and exploded.

Rook was nearly knocked off his feet at the force yet remained standing. He managed to flee from the battle by a couple dozen of meters or so when the hallway was engulfed in a blast. The next thing he knew was that knives either bounced from the walls or were spewed outwards the moment they were conjured.

"Strange Art~ Eternal Meek!" rang Sakuya's declaration throughout the hallway.

Reimu didn't seemed to be impressed and dodged like business as usual. However she elicited a growl as a knife imbedded itself on her shoulder before disappearing without a trace. She was glad that the knife was made out of Danmaku, because if it wasn't then she should be bleeding pretty badly by now. Shaking any further distractions from her head, she focused her attention back to her opponent's spellcard.

With a couple of seconds of analyzing, she found out that the bullets held no definite pattern and were just being thrown wherever Sakuya pleased. _A desperate attack, huh? _Concluded Reimu as she noticed the large gaps between the clumsy shots. Still, the number of bullets being released was proving to be quite a bother, she had to leave it all to fate that only a few were headed her way.

Reimu flew within a gap where there were a few bullets flying around and released another barrage of amulets and ofudas. Sakuya rose up in the air before diving to her right and dashing to her left. The Maid kicked off the scarlet walls and resumed her spellcard. Reimu however had enough of the card for one night, so she pulled out her own.

"Holy Relic~ Ying Yang Sanctifier Orb!" yelled the Shrine Maiden, causing a large blue Ying Yang orb to expand within the corridor and take up all of the space. Stunned and surprised at the sheer size of the ball, Sakuya failed to reach for her pocket watch in time before she was swallowed by the Danmaku orb whole.

Reimu cancelled the spellcard and Sakuya fell from within the orb where Rook barely made it in time to catch her. Releasing a sigh of relief, Rook silently congratulated himself for catching the maid before she cracked her skull. Holding Sakuya's smoking and unconscious body in a princess carry, he noticed the knives that littered the ground were starting to disappear. Reimu landed nearby and started to approach him, apparently displeased about something.

That was when Rook realized that the Maid now had lesser clothing covering her body, so he immediately place her at the side before Reimu could label him as a true to the core pervert.

"Would you please lay it off on the clothing damage?" asked Rook, scratching the back of his head, "I mean, you can't just solve every incident by beating up everyone in your way and tearing their clothes apart..."

"It's not my fault their clothes aren't so durable, and besides, she got me too!" complained Reimu and revealing her torn ribbon and ripped sleeve.

"Right... You know what? Let's discuss about this on another time," suggested Rook, "We have to go now, the clock is ticking..."

"Hmph, old lecherous—" started Reimu but was cut off by the Human.

"If I didn't have a single trace of that trait, then I don't see it fit to call myself a man," deadpanned Rook with an un-amused expression.

The Shrine Maiden refused to speak after that, grabbing his arm and taking off once more.

* * *

"We're here," muttered Rook, letting go of Reimu's hand as they landed on top of the entrance hall's staircase.

"I guess we're back where we started," said Reimu, stretching out her arms, "Why didn't you go here in the first place? It would've saved you time."

Rook walked towards the door to inspect it as he replied, "I was ambushed, and the maid knocked me out. Oh don't give me that look; I can screw up at least a couple of times can't I? I'm only human."

"A very long lived one at that," snorted the Shrine Maiden, leaning against the marble rails. She looked behind her and found the aftermath of her first encounter with Sakuya still present. Furniture were either turned into pincushions for knives or were wrecked by Danmaku bullets. Dents decorated the walls while craters riddled the carpeted floor. The chandelier lay in ruins at the center of the colossal room.

Reimu bit her lower lip at the thought of these priceless treasures wasting away into nothing, giving her no chance whatsoever to sell them for a quick yen. With a sigh of disappointment, she dismisses the thought and brought her gaze back at the large wooden doors Rook was trying to pry open or at least she thought. She jumped in surprise for a moment before regaining her composure; the Human had unceremoniously kicked the doors open.

"Alright, no traps. We should get a move on," he said brushing his hands together.

"Home sweet home for you, huh?" Reimu raised an eyebrow as Rook gestured her to go first. She seemed annoyed yet obliged in the end, the doors closing behind her as Rook came to her side.

"Well, at least not anymore. I don't imagine sleeping soundly in this place again with all that's happening," the Human lifted his head up, observing his previous masterpiece with a critical eye similar to that of an artist examining his work. It was the same as the other rooms, the hall bridging the throne room and the entrance hall was just as large as a three storey building. Rook guessed that this was the Maid's doing. Her ability of time must have come along with the manipulation of space.

At first he thought that it was Patchouli's work since magic was her forte and that she'll need a large amount of space to house her book. But then again during his stay here, Patchouli never needed to expand the library's already sheer size to begin with. There was the question; why would the Magician need to expand the space within the mansion along with the library? This leads to the Human's second guess being the Maid.

It made little sense, but then again this was Gensokyo. Sense never had a place here and it would never have.

Anyway this new hall was colored ash gray, a totally different look from the rest of the mansion's scarlet theme. The hall brought this Middle Ages like feel with the cool air and blood red banners hanging from the ceiling. Remilia probably wanted the stereotypical vampire castle to be present just like in the movies.

_Food for thought: Has Remilia ever watched any vampire movies to begin with?_ Echoed Rook's mind as he and Reimu walked.

The Human entertained the idea for a few seconds before dismissing it. His eyes travelled to his left and saw the Shrine Maiden walking with a stiff posture and a hard expression. Soon in her place, a small girl with purple hair and red white miko outfit was skipping merrily with her gohei held up high. It was only when Reimu sneezed did the image disappear.

"What are you looking at, old geezer?" asked Reimu in a suspicious tone while wiping her nose with her sleeve.

Rook casually took off his coat and threw it at Reimu's face. This action however caused the Shrine Maiden to trip and fall on all fours.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" she growled as Rook continued to walk without as much a single glance.

"We wouldn't want to have you catching a cold in the middle of a battle," replied Rook with a wave of his hand, "Teacher's orders, put it on for crying out loud..."

With a huff, Reimu did as he told her, jogging to keep up with him at the very end of the hall. Before them was a double door at least twenty feet high, decorated with runes and engravings. On each doors the family emblem of the Scarlets were etched within a large oval where vine like branches spread out to touch the sides. The eyes of the bats seemed to follow their every movement, giving Reimu the chills despite the thick coat she was wearing.

Rook on the other hand remained unfazed despite feeling it too.

Remilia was just behind this door, and all they needed to do was get past it. The Human looked at the Shrine Maiden who readied her charms and gohei before nodding. Rook opened the doors, each groaning as they moved from their place, giving way to the two intruders. Reimu was in a defensive stance while Rook had his arms covered in blue electricity. Checking from left to right, they found no one in the vast hall.

Now that Rook had a good look at it once again, the throne room was as beautiful as ever. Enlarged as the other parts of the mansion, the whole place looked like the interior of a cathedral, minus the long wooden chairs. Gray pillars stood high and mighty as the supported the statues of gargoyles, peeking out from their posts to look at the people below. The path was covered with a vibrant rose colored carpet with olden trimmings. Rook knelt down to touch the fabric and found not a single speck of dust on it.

He turned around to look at the balcony overseeing the entirety of the room. Red banners similar to that of the previous hall hung from the ceiling. Beyond the borders of the scarlet carpet was the checkered red and black floor. Behind the pillars and hung on the walls were numerous paintings of noteworthy nobles along with the rest of the Scarlets' house heads all up to Remilia's painting. Desks stood beneath each painting, all having a candle or two lit on top of them.

The throne room was dark and those were the only things that provided illumination. This of course makes sense since vampires have no use for light, they can see perfectly in the dark as if it was broad daylight. Not a good sign if you're a human fighting against a vampire.

"Alright Reimu, ready for a lesson?" asked Rook as he kept the energy on his arms alive, lighting up as far as ten feet with his electricity.

"Huh? Is this really the time for that?" replied Reimu, giving him an incredulous look.

"A word of advice; trust your gut and try with all you've got not to have it taken from you," said the Human as calmly as he could before giving her one of his trademark smiles.

"Right..." muttered the Shrine Maiden, her tone not exactly brimming with confidence. Rook was caught off guard and had his light killed when Reimu pushed him to the ground with one quick push. The next moment was filled with the wind rushing above them and the sound of thousands of bats squeaking overhead. While he appreciated the save, he would have felt better if the Shrine Maiden warned him at least a second before.

When he looked above, everything was in chaos. He could barely see in the darkness of the room and it took quite some time before his eyes got use to it. Around them, he can make out the distinct shapes of wings and small bodies circling them as if the bats were forming a cage to hold them in. But Rook knew better than that. He knew Remilia was taking a closer look upon her enemies, playing with her food before she ate them. Reimu slowly rose to a kneel while glaring at the swarm surrounding her and her companion, Rook likely did the same.

The swarm only dispersed as Reimu threateningly drew three paper charms from her pocket, leaving them scattering into every direction except for the two humans'. Rook's ears were filled with squeaks, all of them bouncing along his head almost making him nuts. He controlled himself from suddenly lashing out; he knew that this was one of Remilia's tricks, trying to have him throw the first punch by messing with his mind.

Instead, he watched as the bats began to regroup, circling at the far end of the hall into one swirling mass of wing, fur, and flesh. A scarlet aura began to engulf the mass before in the midst of the bright light and swarm of bats, limbs appeared followed by a head, and then came a dress, hair eyes and fangs. Not after three seconds, a petite girl with blue hair and black wings hovered above the throne, her mouth formed into a grin.

"That's her," muttered Rook, his face scrunched up into a scowl. That was all before he turned his gaze towards Reimu with a more neutral expression, "Hey Reimu..."

"What?" asked the Shrine Maiden, not taking her eyes off the vampire.

"You know one of those devices they have in the outside?" inquired Rook, his tone casual and calm, "The ones they call television? The kind of box with the moving people in them?"

"Is this really the time?" said Reimu, giving him an incredulous look.

"Well you see there's this one about a panda where if you don't buy his cheese, he'll—"

"Get down!"

With one quick motion, Reimu and Rook hit the deck as a fat red orb flew between them and came in contact with the door causing a small explosion. Reimu gritted her teeth and rose to her feet, taking three menacing steps forward towards the vampire.

"My, aren't you two the most interesting of guests? I haven't had the pleasure of welcoming two visitors such as you," giggled Remilia, though behind her scarlet eyes a fire was blazing, "Oh well, I would like to greet you myself but it seemed like I slept a little more than I planned. Hmm, where's Sakuya? Wasn't she here to greet the guests?"

"She's currently taking a break. Or more likely, I made her take a break, 'young lady'?" said Reimu with a hint of steel in her tone.

Remilia only snorted at her words before sneering, "I knew it... Humans are useless..."

The vampire turned her red eyes at the Shrine Maiden's companion. Rook only stared back, his expression remaining neutral as he got up from the ground, dusting his pants. Reimu took off his coat and tossed it to him, allowing Rook to throw it on his shoulder.

"Hmph, seems like you haven't changed at all, at least now you had time to cool your head, Remilia..." Rook took five steps forward until he came to a halt right beside Reimu.

"Oh," the vampire gave him a bored look, "It's you. Come to terrorize my home again? I wonder what your problem is."

Rook was about to speak when Reimu beat him to the punch, "Oh, right. There's a problem. You..."

"How short-minded, and you don't even understand the reason," replied Remilia with a false smile.

"Well, it's enough reason for us to come and stop you. Because whatever you're planning right now is just plain stupid," responded Rook as he wore his coat once more.

"It's no use, Rook. The only way you'll get this corpse to listen is by beating her upside the head," said the Shrine Maiden as she shook her head in dismay. To Remilia she said, "Anyway can you leave?"

The vampire seemed to be amused by the girl's straight forwardness, "But isn't this my castle? He he he, you're a funny girl. I like you..."

"For your information, this is a mansion. No matter how many times you pretend to think it's a castle, it'll never be one," deadpanned Rook, earning him a glare from the vampire.

"Silence, human! I was not speaking to you, you vile hunter," growled Remilia through gritted teeth. Her furious expression in contrast with the pleasant and mischievous nature she displayed earlier, "Do not think for even a second that I have forgotten what you did to my household five years ago... What you told my sister of your lies... Unforgivable..."

"Well isn't she a little miss sunshine?" muttered Reimu, sarcasm colored every word.

"Cute isn't she?" Rook likewise replied, leaning sideways towards Reimu.

"But no matter," continued Remilia, relaxing her angry expression into a more relaxed one albeit haughty and superior like, "To think that you will return after what you have done in the night where I am strongest no less, is either very brave or extremely stupid of you... This just saves me the time I have to waste in hunting you down. The strings of fate have brought you to me, and tonight I will bring your fate to an end. Right here, right now..."

She turned her gaze towards the Shrine Maiden who was readying her charms and amulets. With a causal flourish of her right hand, red mist began to appear within the hall. Deep within the veil, numerous crimson eyes shone blinking in the dense mist.

"Anyone who dares interfere will meet the same end as him," said Remilia with a dark smile, "Too bad I'm already full, but it seems like the rest of my staff isn't..."

"Oh, this can't be good," muttered Rook in a grim tone, his back against Reimu's.

"You don't say?" replied the Shrine Maiden, bringing her charms up to her face, "Hey, you strong enough to beat her on her own?"

"No," came the Human's response, blue electricity, "I think it's best to leave the cannon fodder to me. I'll meet up with you as soon as I can, after that we can trade places."

"Hmph, scared of your own adopted daughter?" teased the Shrine Maiden with a small smile, "Fine, I'll loosen her up for you. But once this is over, you owe me, got that?"

"Seems like it's gonna be an annoying night," Rook sighed with one eye open and a smile of his own.

"Looks like it's going to be a long night," said the Reimu as she prepared to kick off the ground, her gohei resting on her shoulder.

"It appears like it's going to be a fun night," mused Remilia as she dived towards the duo with her claws raised.

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**3:00 Anti-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Throne of Odin, Gensokyo**

* * *

Reimu leapt into the air, summoning a squared sapphire border in front of her in which Remilia collided. The vampire was sent back a couple of feet, a sadistic grin upon her childish features as she attempted to claw at the Shrine Maiden, only to meet with another shield. This time as she was thrown backwards, Remilia sent a couple of bat shaped Danmaku towards Reimu, which she easily dodged by moving left and right.

"Let's take this outside, shall we?" declared Remilia before diving towards Reimu faster than the eye can see. Before the Shrine Maiden could even react, the vampire was already upon her, grabbing her collar and unceremoniously tossing her upwards. The vampire was about to chase after her prey when a flexible light wrapped around her fragile arms, pulling her with great force and sending her into the ground.

Rook had summoned one of the electric whips he had used in his battle with Patchouli earlier and used it to slam Remilia into the ground. He pulled again and found that his catch was still hooked, so he proceeded slam her the other way. He was caught by surprise when the vampire landed on her feet with a squeak from her shoes before pulling Rook in with a monstrous strength, causing him to collide with a pillar.

"I'll save the best for last," said Remilia with a flying kiss, "I'll handle the spunky one first... Have fun with my little darlings~!"

With that, she flapped her wings and she immediately shot into the air, flying through the hole Reimu made on the ceiling. Rook tried to regain his senses fast enough to catch up to Remilia, but by the time his vision cleared and his brain began to create a coherent thought, the vampire was already gone. Not only that, it seemed like his whip has faded into nothing too.

_**Are you done sleeping?**_

_Shut up, Mima,_ he growled internally as he rubbed his head.

_**Hmph, I was just trying to wake you in time for your company to take action.**_

_Company?_ Thought Rook when all of a sudden he heard a hiss behind his back. The next thing he knew was that he was on the ground, struggling as a crimson eyed fairy in a maid uniform had her hands wrapped around his throat. Rook grunted as the fairy possessed strength that he would have never have imagined.

_Ghoul..._ was Rook's only thought of the fairy's condition. It explained the fairy's animalistic behaviour unfit for her kind; Remilia must have bitten them just for this occasion. With a kick to the gut, Rook managed to get the fairy off of him. She staggered a bit before vigorously shaking her head and charging.

She wildly clawed at him with her sharp claws; however his left hand caught her by the wrist before lifting her body into the air and slamming her down on the carpet. The vampire fairy disappeared into a puff of black dust, almost making Rook gag

_What the hell?_ Thought Rook as he covered his nose with his forearm, _That was just nasty..._

_**Mmmhhmm, well if you don't mind, there are a couple of more crawling on the walls. Both of them seem to be ready to pounce on you like the first one did.**_

At her warning, Rook whirled around and shot a couple of shots at the walls mentioned. Immediately, two outlines dashed into the darkness. The Human was left alone, jerking his head from left to right in search of his enemies. That was when he heard movements behind him and quickly turned around. He found the vanquished fairy beginning to resurrect, slowly forming the torso and head. A roundhouse kick from his foot dispelled the resurrection process, leaving the fairy nothing more than a stack of dust.

_**If I may advise you, I suggest limiting the use of your power and start relying more on your toy gun. It would save you time and energy when fate demands it...Use your power only to light your way, but under any unnecessary circumstances, do not use it. Only do so if the vampire appears, you will be able to deal more damage with raw energy hitting her.**_

_Right,_ replied Rook as he drew his gun from its holster and checked it for ammo. He wasn't surprised to see the whole magazine empty; after all, he only emptied when he was shooting the Magician. He tucked the empty magazine into his pocket as he unzipped his pouch for another. Making quick work of his reload, he pulled the slide and turned around, lining the sight on his approaching target.

With a loud bang, the charging fairy collapsed with a headshot.

_**Finish the other one off and head to the roof. Reimu will need you most there.**_

Grunting in annoyance, Rook swung his pistol arm towards the right, causing the butt of his gun to connect with the third vampire fairy's jaw. Planting one firm foot on the ground, the fairy uttered an angry screech before charging once more. Rook took the empty magazine from his pocket and stuffed it into the vampire fairy's open maw, causing it to bite down on the metal. He kicked the fiend on the gut while she was confused, punching a dart on her head turning her into dust.

_Three shots, I got five left before the next reload, _thought Rook as he ran to the side of the throne room where he found the wooden stairs leading the way up, _I better aim for killing shots so that I don't waste anymore bullets. I knew not bringing that unlimited ammo box with me was a bad idea..._

_**We have three hostiles up ahead. Stay alert.**_

Rook reached the top of the balcony and was immediately met with a volley of Danmaku. He managed to dive to the side in time for the bullets to hit the top of the stairs. Rook blindly fired at his opponents and ducked behind a pillar. With his back against the marble, he fished out another magazine from his belt bag and pulled the slide of his gun. The Human retaliated as soon as he was finished reloading, firing off two shots. He missed as the vampire fairies scattered. He took a glance at these three's wide pink wings and red drill like twin tails.

_Death Fairies turned ghoul, just wonderful,_ he thought as he hid back behind the pillar.

_**Oh don't be like that, you could use a challenge.**_

_I'm not like your student that can take one impossible problem at a time!_

_**You were the one who said that, not me.**_

_Just watch my back._

A hiss to his right indicated a fairy crawling down the pillar next to his. Rook fired his darts, however the fairy seemed to be too nimble for him to hit in the dark as it leapt from left to right on the wall and pillar. As she landed on the pillar, she suddenly decided to dive towards Rook with her clawed hands outstretched. The Human evaded the attack and punched two darts on its back, turning it into smoke. Rook didn't have time to block as razor sharp claws raked across his back. Staggering forward, he felt as a tiny hand possessing an iron grip suddenly clamp on his ankle, sending him skidding across the floor a few seconds later.

With a growl, he pushed himself from the ground and slowly made his way towards his fallen gun. But before he can even reach it, a fairy kicked it away, a smirk plastered across her face. Rook backed away from the threat, only to find all six vampire fairies slowly making their way towards him, either by hovering closer or by walking nearer.

_**Cut loose.**_

Rook gathered a large amount of electricity within his arms as he raised them on the air. All fairies hissed and shrieked as they all lunged for his flesh. They all didn't make it as Rook brought down both of his fists into the ground, sending a shockwave of energy that vaporized the fairies at its touch.

Rook panted in exhaustion as the lightning died. Steadying himself, he walked to the very center of the balcony and went towards a double door. Opening it, a world of gears and metal revealed itself to him. If he could just get on top of the clock tower, then he'll be on the roof in no time.

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**3:15 Anti-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Gensokyo**

* * *

Reimu unleashed four glowing talismans which all homed their way towards her vampire opponent. Revealing her claws, Remilia easily destroyed the missiles with a well timed strike before bringing her hands together and summoning a magic circle in which red bats spawned. Reimu allowed a smirk to appear on her lips as she charge straight forward, shooting through the large circle the bats made and causing them to cancel out by hitting each other. She then summoned her Yin Yang orbs to circle around her as they spewed needle Danmaku in a single concentrated fire.

Remilia stretched her right arm forward as she summoned another magic circle, this one larger than the others. Reimu was forced into a dive as a giant scarlet bat burst into existence and began chasing her. She twisted her body and faced the bat as she flew backwards, firing off her needle bursts at the Danmaku beast's head. Soon, the bat exploded into crimson rubies and from within the explosion, Remilia shot out and grabbed the Shrine Maiden by the foot, sending Reimu tumbling downwards.

While falling, Reimu managed to right herself and continue flying, unleashing four talismans headed towards Remilia. The vampire dispelled them with a burst of large red orbs each. Remilia then gathered a large amount of scarlet magic in her hands before releasing it, firing off another wave of thick red orbs with even smaller sphere trailing behind it. She aimed at Reimu whenever possible, however being rained constantly by painful charms and needles didn't make things any easier.

The Shrine Maiden was about to dive downwards the vampire when intuition told her that it was a bad idea.

And turned out it was right, Remilia raised her hand in the air and declared, "Divine Punishment~ Young Demon Lord."

Angled lasers shot off into every direction while an array of fat yellow orbs accompanied by a volley of blue ones followed. Reimu's Yin Yang orbs began to divide like a bubble before spinning around her in a rapid pace, destroying any Danmaku that came close. A talisman in her hand, Reimu muttered a small pray before launching it into the air, a golden glow trailing behind. It collided with several large orbs and a bunch of smaller ones before disappearing within laser, not a moment too long, the Danmaku it passed through suddenly exploded in a dark yellow light.

The Shrine Maiden used the large gap the explosions created to unleash a barrage of ofudas and needles towards Remilia. The spellcard broke and the vampire wasted no time flying towards her prey, only to miss as Reimu dashed below her and fired off amulet after amulet. Remilia retaliated by releasing a burst of orbs as she and the Shrine Maiden circled each other in an aerial dogfight. Remilia left a trail of glowing orbs as she fired her own bullets, Reimu responded with cannon bursts of amulets as she gave chase.

Remilia spun around and stretched out her left hand, a smile appearing on her lips, "Critical~ Heartbreak x10!"

A spear wrought out of scarlet magic formed within the vampire's hand before she launched it. It flew, turning into a crimson flash which quickly multiplied from one into tens, and then hundreds.

Reimu managed to graze a few for the first five seconds before on hit her right on the leg. Grunting in pain, she performed a barrel roll before doing a back flip and declaring her own spellcard as a spear was closing on her torso, "Dream Sign~ Evil Sealing Circle!"

Her body was enveloped in a wide circular ring before it spread outwards, vaporizing spears in mid-air as they closed in on her. Reimu brought her hands close together, causing her Yin Yang orbs to orbit her a bit more closely. "Spirits, aid this godless Maiden in her scarlet night. Prayer~ Exorcism! "

Three red amulets flew out of her sleeve before crackling like a firecracker and multiplying. The orange amulets all traced their way into the flying spears' path; detonating them all before they can even reach Reimu. Wild fairies from the outskirts of the lake watched as if they were witnessing a chain fireworks display, the explosions reflecting from the lake's surface.

From the smoke, the Scarlet Devil broke through with claw outstretched as she tore Reimu's stomach open. Except it wasn't Reimu she hit but a large clump of blue papers. The real Shrine Maiden spun out of a rift and activated her trap; large numbers of the same blue ofudas began to circle Remilia before launching themselves at her.

Black bats fly out of the smoke and began to assault Reimu. She swung her gohei around to fend most of them, but a few scored a bite or two along with a few scratches. She only managed to fight them off by rapidly spinning her orbs around her. Remilia materialized behind her and threw a spinning cross which she narrowly dodges. The Shrine Maiden hit one of her Yin Yang orbs and sent it towards Remilia's path.

The vampire disappears as she transformed into a swarm of bats, attacking Reimu once more through sheer numbers. They only reformed back into the vampire to declare a new spellcard, "Bat~ Vampire's Web!"

Remilia's body soon burst into a cluster of red bats, spreading outwards. Reimu had to put her flying skills to the test in order to dodge. She looked around and saw that the scarlet bats were lying off into the distance; a sigh of relief escaped her lips_. Maybe that spellcard was designed for escape_.

That was where she was wrong when she was being hit from all sides by bats that literally flew out of nowhere. Once the barrage was complete, Reimu had to right her smoking form to prevent herself from crashing head first into the roof. Remilia hovered on the spot where she was before. The vampire brought her hand to her lips as if to hide the obvious smirk that was forming on it. Crimson bats began to fly out of her form once more before she was enveloped in scarlet light. The flash died and Reimu saw that Remilia had disappeared.

_Work fast Reimu, you don't know where she'll pop out next, _thought the Shrine Maiden to herself. That's when she heard the squeaking. On instinct, she shot off her current location and threw three purple ofudas which flew at high speed. Soon enough, scarlet bats began to gather and managed to form Remilia's body just in time for the three ofudas to make contact. Spreading her arms on either side, Reimu summoned an entire volley of amulets before releasing them. They all flew straight towards Remilia's location.

Two large leather wings stretched from the aftermath, and before Reimu could even know it, the world exploded into red.

_I'm falling... Dammit, this is so embarrassing, _with one command to her body, Reimu managed to float safely and land on the roof. She tried to focus her eyes as she watched Remilia raising her hand in the air, all while declaring her spellcard, "God Art~ Vampire Illusion!"

A sigh escaped the Shrine Maiden's lips as she examined her burnt sleeve. This was going to be a pain fixing since she didn't have enough money. She casually swung her gohei hard and all of a sudden, the large indigo bullet that was about to hit her ceased to exist.

"This is starting to be a pain," she complained as she scratched the back of her head.

She gave the vampire one bored look before she kicked off the roof and shot into the sky. Gracefully dodging a red bullet, Reimu zigzagged through the mass while tossing three ofudas at a time. Remilia started to fly backwards, all while unleashing waves of indigo bullets. Reimu dodged and weaved through the bullets, analyzing the pattern and bullet shots with her eyes. Her four Yin Yang orbs divided once more creating six blue charm spamming turrets that circled her.

The Shrine Maiden danced along the bullets, ducking and tearing through it. She grazed eight bullets from random direction as she kept a firm path towards the vampire. She rose and fell as she navigated through the spellcard, occasionally giving herself a boost to increase her speed. Reimu came to a halt just below Remilia; the vampire noticed her and immediately sent a barrage headed her way. Just as Reimu planned.

The vampire was too busy unleashing her attack to notice the Shrine Maiden shoot through her bullets and send a kick to her stomach. The spell broke, causing the remaining bullets to turn into red crystals. Remilia wasn't thinking of backing down that time so she flew out to meet with Reimu, breaking through the Red-white's newly summoned shield and gripping her arms.

"Enjoying yourself, my dear?" sneered the vampire as she held the Shrine Maiden in an iron clamp grip.

Reimu grunted as she did all she could to pry the vampire off her, "Having... the time... of my life..."

"Oh~? Then you'll enjoy this," giggled Remilia, a malicious smile creeping across her face, "Scarlet Devil~ Scarlet Devil!"

A scream tore through the night. Reimu's vision was filled with nothing but scarlet as pain bit on her skin like fire. Everything burned, everything hurt, she knew this was just Danmaku and she had to fight it if she wanted to break the spell. The only problem was that she was too preoccupied feeling the pain to do anything. She felt her strength slowly draining away followed by a sharp stab at the nape of her neck. Reimu thought in horror at the warm liquid trailing down her shoulder amidst the pain of the scarlet aura, Remilia was draining her blood. With a flick of wrist, a spellcard slid out of her sleeve and into her hand before she slapped it on the side of Remilia's skull.

"Divine Arts~ Demon Binding Circle!" she growled as the scarlet aura that enveloped her and the vampire was surrounded by numerous paper charms. The vampire hissed with her bloody mouth as golden light replaced the scarlet one, causing her turn to scream.

Reimu felt light headed from losing too much blood, yet she managed to place a kick on the vampire's gut, sending her off. The light died and Remilia staggered, only to be hit by a lightning bolt on her torso, lifting her off her feet. Reimu felt a surge of relief as she turned her gaze towards the bolt's source.

"You're late," she croaked weakly, however Rook was too far away to hear her. The Human was quickly making his way towards her, gun in one hand and electricity in the other. The Shrine Maiden struggled to sit up while keeping a hand over her wound, the blood was pouring out too fast for her tastes. She was about to lecture Rook when all of a sudden, the Human was hit on the side by something small, causing him to slide to the edge of the roof.

Acting fast, Reimu drew two charms from her pocket with her left hand as the vampire fairy pounced on her.

* * *

Rook almost fell to an uncomfortable landing when he managed to cling at the roof's edge. However he felt a searing pain explode on his fingers as he hung on. It seemed like his momentum and weight was too much for his fingers to bear. He looked as he heard the loud sounds of hissing and spitting just to see the scarlet eyes of a vampire fairy staring back at him. His right hand shot up and grabbed the ledge, freeing his left hand of its burden and allowing it to fire a bolt.

The fairy disintegrated, giving the Human enough time to pull himself up. He winced at the pain on his left fingers, but dismissed it as he dodged a claw from another fairy. _Fighting near the ledge wouldn't prove any good and would only provide me with a disadvantage._

He evaded a couple more strikes before retaliating with a tornado kick, causing the little fairy to stagger. Rook drew his dagger from his chest and plunged it into the fairy's torso, turning around and vanquishing the fiend for good.

Killing vampire like creatures was the same as killing vampires themselves, a lucky hit to the heart never seemed to fail a good warrior.

Strong tiny arms wrapped around his neck and began to strangle him out of nowhere. The fairy was about to bite down on his exposed flesh when he plunged a knife between its eyes, throwing the maid away only to land on its feet. Rook adopted a defensive stance as the wound on the vampire fairy's head began to heal.

She charged and he drew his gun. A couple of darts on its shoulders was enough to stun it for a few seconds before the Human whirled in one fluid motion and sliced her neck. No blood came out except for a thick amount of red sand. He planted a firm foot behind him before stabbing the fairy maid on the chest.

Rook expected her to die, but it seemed like as she was disintegrating, the fairy managed to regain a bit of her old self while saying, "Thank you..."

Wiping the dirt off his dagger, Rook turned his back on her remains and replied, "Thanks for holding back... I'll treat you when you revive..."

He turned his attention towards the Shrine Maiden who mercilessly barraging a fairy with her Yin Yang orbs spewing out a stream of amulets and ofudas. Once he caught her attention, she cut off the power leaving the dazed and staggering fairy. Rook stabbed the vampire fairy at the back before kicking it forward for Reimu to paste a paper charm on its head. The fairy shrieked as it was vanquished and purified at the same time.

Rook headed towards Reimu, this time at a more leisurely pace and asked, "Having fun?"

The Shrine Maiden shot him an acidic look before groaning in pain. She placed a healing charm over the tiny holes on her neck and allowed the magic to do its thing. A shaky breath escaped her as she fell on her butt and wiped her brow. "Next time you ask me to meet your family; I'm going to pass..."

"I never asked you to meet them, they're usually more hospitable than...this," replied Rook, kneeling down to her level and examined her bruised arm, "Stay still so I can heal this, I may be able make the bruise go away but I won't be able to soothe your pain. I'll try the best as I can anyway..."

"Just do it," snarled Reimu as she closed her eyes. Rook placed a gloved hand above the Shrine Maiden's arm and released his power. He was surprised as the healing magic seemed a bit different than before. A genuine look of relief appeared on the girl's face as if his faulty magic was working correctly for the first time. When he thought he gave enough power, he cut the magic off. To increase his surprise a bit further, he felt no after effects. He barely felt drained.

"Won't be able to soothe the pain, huh?" smirked Reimu as she rotated her right arm.

"Now that's new..." muttered Rook as he stared at his hands.

"Well, sorry to bother your power discovery, but it seems like our host is back in action," said Reimu as she glared past Rook. Sure enough, the Scarlet Devil was slowly recovering from the attack they sent her. She stretched her wings and they seemed grow wider than before. With one mighty beat, she shot into the air, gracefully landing on top of a pole and staring down at her foes.

"Bravo, it seems like you've managed to impress me, a high honor for two rats," she said with her crimson eyes gleaming, "Though it seems like you have to try far better than that to keep me down."

"Damn it and that was a full divine spell to the face. I heard her scream, so why isn't she even scratched?" growled Reimu as she stared at the vampire with murderous intent.

"Are you blind, young priestess? Look above you," said Remilia, pointing her hand towards the heavens, "Of all times you chose to challenge a Vampire of Fate, you chose to fight her at the peak of her power! Therefore there is no chance whatsoever for you to overcome me. I control your fates, and when I say that you will lose, you _will_ lose... I am invincible!"

The vampire arced her neck backwards and laughed a laugh unfit for her appearance, almost like a being drunk in their power.

"Great," muttered Rook as he scratched the back of his head, "Now I have to beat her back to her senses. I told you to soften her up, Reimu... Not make her go crazy..."

"Hey! She was a tough cookie!" protested Shrine Maiden. A small tremor made them look back up.

"Can you fight?" asked Rook, his eyes fixed on Remilia.

"No, do I get to sit this one out?" replied Reimu in turn.

"I'll take it from here. Get some rest and help me out as soon as you can," said Rook as he filled his right hand with lightning, "Go."

A small gust indicated that Reimu was gone; Rook didn't waste the time looking back and slowly approached the laughing vampire. Remilia suppressed her glee and gave the Human before her a dark smile. A hand stretched out to her side, she summoned a spear of scarlet energy while Rook intensified the electricity that coursed along his arms.

_**Need a little help?**_

_Yeah, this one will be a pain to subdue. I know the extent of her power and I know my own. Do you think I'll be able to match her?_

_**On a normal night, yes. But now? I don't think so. The gap between your powers is far too large for you to fight in par. I suggest being creative and resourceful in your approach. Don't expend too much power when unnecessary and keep hitting her. Quality over explosions, Rook.**_

_Hmph, she's a melee fighter at best. I won't be able to match her sheer strength in direct combat and who knows what tricks she managed to pick up over the century._

_**Then I think you should introduce her to some tricks of your own...**_

Remilia leapt into the air and dove with her spear raised.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: As the title says, this is part 1 of two chapters. You guys may remember that fight with possessed Reimu right? Well I decided to pull one of those chapters so I don't break the 10k word limit. I can't have you guys get bored while reading a fight that seems to drag on. So yeah, you guys deserve a break._

_On another note, please tell m what's wrong, if there is anything. I'll gladly here about it. I think it would be nice to receive constructive criticism from time to time since I have no idea whether I'm doing things right or wrong. _

_Any how, part 2 will be released as soon as possible. As soon as I get Endless Echo done... Hehehehe. _

_Rate, review, and comment. Share your thoughts so I know what you guys think._


	22. Chapter 14: Against the Crimson King, 2

_Nicolas Notes:_

_Beneath the pools, the monster sleeps  
__Memories of the stars, its dead heart it keeps__  
__Fate's gears turning, it answers to her call  
May the mansion forever stand tall_

_The land before us wrapped in scarlet magic  
Everyone do their best, do please solve this mystery  
Stories of mystery are nothing but tragic  
A deal is struck with an enemy_

_We pass by a rather stinky hill  
Mannequins over one another, an aftermath of a monster's meal  
A lonely flower comes across our path  
Oblivious to our unseen wrath  
It trembles as we crush it underfoot  
Masked intentions, we rip it by its roots_

_From her poison we come to be  
Endless halls is all we see  
Oh look a library, let's go and read  
To rid ourselves and Old Grudge's seed_

_Lo and behold, the Mistress of Fate  
The Final Obstacle, the Unbreakable Gate  
And so we duel, scarlet and sapphire collide  
The mansion shook, both with the strength of a tide_

_Blue and red ruled the night  
Lightning flashed and so ended the fight  
The tower and the devil had finished their deadly dance  
The bishop joins them, the tower falls under the devil's lance._

* * *

**{Saving game: 12/21/12}**

**{Loading checkpoint}**

**{Welcome to the Madness of Laevateinn}**

**Select Difficulty :**

**{**_Easy_**} {**_Normal**} {**Hard_**} {**_Lunatic_**} {_Phantasm_} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

* * *

**CHAPTER 14: Against the Crimson King, 2**

**Year: 2005**

**3:33 Anti-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Rooftop, Gensokyo**

* * *

The roof's tiles shattered as the vampire landed, causing the Human to step backwards and duck as spear head travelled past his head. Remilia continued the spear's path to the right, cutting Rook's cheek as he resumed his retreat. Remilia thrust out her spear with her left arm, slashing in a wide arc to the right before drawing it back to the left. Rook managed to keep his distance from the slashes but had to shield himself with his arms as the vampire finished the combo by spinning around and performing a jump slash.

He had to redirect a spear strike above his left shoulder using his arms. Remilia brought the spear the other way and slashed while spinning, forcing Rook on the defensive before he jumped away. The Human almost lost his balance as he landed, cursing himself for building a slanted roof. Once he regained his footing, he turned his attention back towards Remilia who was coming for him.

He gathered energy within his arms before clapping them together. The proceeding shockwave managed to push Remilia back and cancel her attack. She opened her eyes to see Rook bringing his fist down upon her, causing her to block the strike and push him away. The Human took a couple steps backwards before running towards his opponent, performing two consecutive kicks in mid-air, forcing the vampire to step backwards. Remilia retaliated by swinging her spear and thrusting forward, however Rook managed to step aside and redirect the strike.

A smirk appeared across the vampire's face as she used her monstrous strength to grab hold of the Human with the momentum of her spear, coming to a halt to toss the Human near the ledge. Rook grunted in annoyance as he almost slipped on the edge and forced himself to stand up. He drew out his gun and started emptying the magazine by firing at Remilia.

The vampire casually swung her spear left and right as if it weighed nothing, deflecting all of the darts flying towards her. Not giving the Human a chance to reload, she raised her hand in the air and four spear headed chains pierced through the roof, arcing their forms similar to snakes.

Rook looked at the damage in disgust, "That's gonna be an ass to fix."

He drew his dagger and deflected the first chain before crouching low to dodge the second one. He dived forward to avoid the third, making a mistake of blocking with his arm which caused the fourth to pierce his entire forearm. The blade was still made from Danmaku unlike Patchouli's, so Remilia was still playing by the spellcard rules. When the chain was about to pull him, he managed to cut it off with one strike of his dagger. That was when the other chains started to surround him, trapping him within a swirling scarlet world of metal.

And then they closed in.

Remilia smiled as she approached the Human's form wrapped in thick crimson links. Her spear at hand, she was about to stab it when it suddenly exploded in blue light. Rook flicked a chain from his shoulder before charging the vampire. Remilia blocked his initial strike, pushing him back with her strength. The Human retaliated by sending a tornado kick before Remilia could even attack, forcing her to block once more.

He lashed out with his dagger but was met with the blade of the vampire's spear. He was forced to fend off the vampire's counter attack, seeing himself at a disadvantage for having the shorter blade. In terms of speed they were matched since Remilia's spear was light as feather, but in terms of range and power they were handicapped. Rook managed to parry a decisive strike and crouch as the spear came slashing from the other way. As Remilia finished her revolution, she immediately brought her spear down, only to have Rook block her attack with his accursed dagger. She forced his hand upwards, giving her time to prepare to kick him in the gut.

To her surprise, the hand which she had trapped dropped the dagger and allowed his right hand to catch it from below, causing the blade to meet with her foot.

The vampire howled in pain and pushed the Human away. She planted her right foot on the ground and examined it, watching the wound close before glaring at Rook. She shot off backwards before coming to a halt, beating her wings hard and diving towards Rook like an arrow. The Human's electricity turned crimson for a moment before he brought up his dagger to fend off a direct spear attack.

Remilia was sent sliding a few feet backwards, leaping into the air until she was nothing but a black speck in the scarlet moon. Rook knew what was coming next and immediately stepped away from his position to judge, only to fail as Remilia brought the entire roof down with him. As he fell, he felt two gentle hands embracing him from behind, draining him of his power and will to fight.

**_Fool, she's behind you!_**

Rook's eyes widened, but before he can even do something to release himself, Remilia already did by kicking him to the far end of the throne room as they were about to land. The Human hit the sealed doors hard, almost knocking him unconscious. A few seconds passed before Rook regained most of his bearings. Standing up by using the doors behind him for support, he watched as Remilia stood in the middle of the hall with her spear at hand as if she was intentionally waiting for him to wake up.

She brought her hand in front of her and snapped her fingers.

A powerful torrent of red liquid burst from the floor and shot through the roof, forming what seemed like a moving river of glowing red substance. Remilia snapped again and Rook felt the floor below him rumble, cue for him to dive wildly out of harm's way as another torrent exploded just where he was standing.

"Stop blowing holes in my mansion!" he yelled angrily with gritted teeth.

"You mean _my_ mansion," snarled Remilia, casually twirling her spear in her hand, "I think it is time for this show to end... Scarlet Sign~ Scarlet Meister!"

She brought her hands in front of her and her spear suddenly disappeared into nothing. A continuous stream of large red bullets burst forth and made their way towards Rook, who did his best to dodge while on the ground. Red orbs of all sizes were being spewed out at dangerous rates, causing minor explosion on the walls and floor. The Human took cover behind a pillar as Remilia continued to release random Danmaku bursts all over the throne room.

"WHERE. ARE. YOU?!" screamed the vampire followed by a short tremor. Rook peeked out of his hiding place and surveyed his surroundings. If the hole in the wall wasn't obvious enough, Remilia's voice echoed from the outside, sounding utterly livid that her prey escaped her. The Human cautiously stepped to the center of the hall, eyeing the torrent of blood warily as he passed. At the distance, he can hear the vampire's faint cries of rage.

_Maybe she's too far away—?_

The wall at the far end of the hall exploded.

**_You just had to say something. _**

Ignoring Mima's snickering, Rook whirled around to see Remilia burst through the pillar of blood, slashing with a claw that may have torn his face off if he hadn't backed up. The vampire followed up with a couple more strikes before letting loose a stream of her red bullets. The Human was hit square in the chest, sending him flying. He toppled over the throne before jumping off to avoid Remilia's spear thrust.

Rolling into a crouch, Rook released a steady fire of blue lightning before cutting off the power to dodge. He held out his palm and conjured a thin stick made out of pure raw power before tossing it towards the vampire. Remilia crossed her arms in front of her as she was suddenly engulfed in smoke. Screaming out in rage, she flew out of the black veil and missed Rook by inches, scratching the wall's surface instead of human flesh.

Rook entered her guard and tackled her waist, using the momentum as they spun to throw her at the wall she just clawed. Not a few seconds later, he sent an electrified kick to her gut and pinned her to the wall, enveloping himself in crackling energy which caused Remilia to scream in pain.

"Grit your teeth and bear it. This hurts me more than it does to you," he growled as he pushed his forearm further up Remilia's throat. Her finger nails dug deep into his skin as she struggled. With one lucky kick, the vampire shattered his knee and pushed him away. Rook was sent rolling on the floor before coming to a halt, groaning at the pain exploding on his right knee. He made the mistake of looking up as Remilia's foot connected with his chin, sending him fly once more into a pillar.

The vampire huffed as she examined her handy work and was about to finish it off by firing a Danmaku burst, however it seemed like it would take more than a few well aimed kicks to keep that man down. Tendrils of sapphire electricity danced in the air as Rook kneeled on his good leg while drinking from a vial. He threw the empty glass away and glared at the vampire. She just made him use one of his last two vials. Once he was out he'll have to rely on his basic healing.

The Human broke into a sprint and attacked with a jab and a right hook, using the momentum from the hook to spin around and kick Remilia on her chest. She stood her ground even if she slid a few feet, redirecting Rook's strikes with her claws the best she can. Rook performed a sweep kick which lifted the vampire off her feet, however Remilia twisted her body in mid-air as she fell, firing a bat shaped Danmaku bullet. Her opponent's torso smoked for a bit, but was otherwise unscathed.

She ducked in alarm as Rook summoned a whip made out of pure electricity. He drew it back before lashing out again, forcing Remilia to take flight. She felt confident that even with his whip he won't be able to reach her; though it seemed like fate itself was conspiring against her as she watched the whip extend and stick its end upon the wall. Rook pulled himself up and hit the wall, rebounding off it as he dived towards Remilia.

He grabbed hold of her shoulders with his arms beneath her armpits in an attempt to send her off course. Gritting her teeth, Remilia flew backwards, intentionally hitting her back on the wall, causing a groan to elicit from Rook. She flew high and rammed the ceiling with her back, the Human grunted in pain as he held on. An idea struck him and he tightened his grip upon her just a tiny little bit, using his weight to bring them both into the ground. Remilia, proving the mighty vampire she was, refused to submit and struggled to fight his weight with her strength.

Rook solved this by shocking her with a thousand volts of electricity, breaking her concentration and causing herself to go limp. The vampire and human fell, however it was only Remilia who took the brunt of the impact. Rook managed to plant his knee on her gut by the time they hit the ground. His knee dealt quite the damage to her with his combined weight and their momentum. He got off the weakened vampire and put as much distance between him and her as possible.

**_Hmm, maybe you can use this to deliver a strong attack. Maybe one that'll shut her up for awhile and make her listen to you. I suggest going up the balcony, and... You can improvise..._**

_Don't tell me what to do,_ thought the Human as he began to climb the staircase leading to the way up. Once he arrived at the top, he noticed Remilia slowly rising to her feet albeit a bit dazed and confused. He began to focus large amounts of electricity into his palm as he aimed it towards the vampire. Lightning danced and crackled before his eyes, making the hairs on at the back of his neck stand from the static. Blue light enveloped the entire balcony as Rook charged up his power.

**_More... You'll need more than that..._**

At Mima's comment, he began to focus a whole lot more power than what he was feeding his palm earlier. Soon he realized that the Evil Spirit was telling him to draw power from the dagger. Closing his eyes to release a sigh, the Human placed his free hand on his chest where the dagger was sheathed. Almost immediately, red electricity surged forth, slowly turning to blue as it travelled from across Rook's body. His left palm began to tremble at the amount of power and that's when he decided to let go...

Remilia never saw it coming as she was hit with by a lightning bolt, sending her flying across the throne room and crashing into her throne, demolishing it.

The Human staggered backwards and fell on his butt as he stared at the ceiling. _That... was easy..._

**_Will you keep it down; you wouldn't want her to—_**

An inhuman shriek filled the throne room with scarlet light.

**_..._**

_Speechless, right? Heh, well as her guardian, I would've been pretty disappointed if she got defeated by this weakened state of mine. Surely you'll feel the same with Marisa if you were in my shoes ._

**_Shut it... Either way you're dead man._**

"**Divine Spear~ Spear the Gungnir!"** screamed Remilia as she rose out of the debris and stones with her wings outstretched to their fullest length. Her scarlet eyes shined a faint scarlet light as she held out her hand in the air where red aura began to gather at dangerous rates. A sudden gust blew as Remilia flapped her leathery wings while the air hummed with power, almost causing Rook to go deaf for a moment. Soon, the aura began to form the distinct shape of a weapon, a large spear made out of pure red magic. It didn't have a solid shape; it was just energy forming the shape of a spear and nothing more. Nothing classy or fancy, just pure unstable energy melded into an unstable shape, waiting to be released. It was funny how Rook noticed a sense of elegance in it despite its size and power.

The Human slowly rose to his feet, eyeing the familiar weapon of the girl below him with caution. He blinked.

One moment Remilia was below him at her throne, staring at him with eyes of hate and disgust. The next moment she was standing on the marble rails with her hand drawn back before it suddenly shot forward. Rook tilted his head aside; however the burning power managed to slice his cheek.

Remilia pulled her spear back and spun on the spot, swinging her giant spear all the way. Rook stepped away from the spear's path in time for it to slash; however once it had finished its journey, the vampire threw it forward with all her strength, cutting deep into Rook's shoulder. His heart skipped a beat as the spear clashed against the wall, blowing a hole through it. When he turned his gaze back at Remilia, he realized that she was gone.

Pain exploded upon his left shoulder as well as his right leg. He felt as something strong and heavy crushed his left foot and kick his gut, sending him skidding back first into a wall. He looked to his right arm and saw that four claw marks slashed across it, sending blood flying into the air. He struggled to fight back by sending lightning bolt after lightning bolt into random directions, yet none of them hit their marks.

Suddenly, he felt a hand wrap itself around his skull, lifting him off his feet and throwing him off the balcony. Rook landed at the middle of the hall, groaning and bleeding. He managed to stand up on his shaky and bleeding legs as his eyes darted around for Remilia. There was no sign of her, yet he knew with all he had that she was the cause of this.

**_You'll never beat her at this rate. You will lose, Rook._**

_If you don't have anything good to contribute to my survival, I suggest shutting the fu—OUCH!_

**_That's going to scar..._**

The Evil Spirit's comment was directed to the four long scratches across Rook's right cheek. Acting on instinct, he let go of his wounded face and punched the floor with his fist, sending a small shockwave of electricity around him. By some stupid stroke of luck, Remilia happened to be in the middle of an assault and was hit by the blast. She hissed and spat profanities that were better left unsaid, however Rook wasn't about to let that slide and delivered a crackling foot to her gut.

He was caught off guard as she faked her stunned condition and suddenly whirled around, a giant spear forming within her grasp. Leaping away from what would've been his death, Rook clutched at the shallow cut he sported at the base of his throat. She was aiming to behead him. He was about to dodge the next strike when his right leg gave away, forcing him to kneel. Remilia let out shriek of delight and brought her spear down.

A frown appeared on her face as she saw that Rook wasn't cut in half. She raised her spear and slashed again, only to hit something hard. On her third raise, she caught the sight of Rook's silver dagger raised in defense against the colossal spear. The larger weapon clashed with the smaller one, surprising Remilia as Rook swung his left arm and redirected her attack's course. He brought his palm unto her face and fired a lightning bolt.

The vampire managed to turn into a swarm of bats in a split second, materializing behind Rook before diving. She gritted her teeth in frustration to see the Human stop her spear with his gloved hand. Glaring at Remilia, Rook softly muttered to himself, "Wayward Chess Piece~ Checkmate..."

He brought his right arm up and sent Remilia tumbling in the air until she regained her balance. He slowly got up to his feet, this time they were firm and steady as he shrugged off the pain from all of his injuries before. Sheathing his dagger on his chest, he stretched out his fingers as his arms burst into life with electricity.

**_You have two minutes... Why not using that last new ability you unlocked? Or did you forget that you just broke past your Gauge?_**

"**DIE, HUMAN!"** Screamed Remilia raising her hand in the air, "**Millennium Vampire!"**

Rook started to run before kicking off the ground and shooting into the air, Remilia swooping down to meet him. Pulling out another card in their pockets, they both shouted in unison, simultaneously casting new spellcards.

"**Divine Spear~ Spear the Gungnir!"**

**"God Hammer~ Roar of Mjollnir!"**

The two collided in mid-air, red aura against blue electricity.

As both combatants clashed, a shrill sound of glass breaking tore through the air. Rook's grip on his half formed weapon started to loosen and tremble. Like Remilia's spear, his hammer was roughly the same size and length, only that it was made out of blue electricity instead of red aura. His hands began to shake violently as the two weapons remained connected, dealing a large amount of damage to Rook's own.

"**Mjollnir is it?" **purred Remilia, a malicious grin creeping across her lips, "**How disappointing..."**

Rook's hammer shattered within his fingers, sending him crashing into the floor. Using the momentum from the fall, he managed to roll into a crouch before standing up and unleashing a stream of blue lightning. Remilia dodged and danced between the tendrils, responding with a cannon burst of red orbs. The Human was left disoriented as the sphere hit his surroundings, causing smoke and debris to fill the air. He summoned another hammer just in time for Remilia's spear to fall upon him. The two clashed weapons once more, exchanging blows and parries with great expertise.

Due to the hammer's great size, Rook was having more a hard time keeping it active than worrying about its weight. Like Gungnir, Mjollnir was light as a feather. The Human spun his body around along with his hammer, covering a wide range for the attack which caused Remilia to take flight. The vampire swooped low and struck, only to for her attack to be blocked and countered with Rook's thrust. He spun the hammer above him before bringing it down, causing a dome of blue energy to erupt around him.

Remilia landed and took a few steps forward as she swung her spear. The dome managed to deflect Gungnir's attack before it disappeared. Remilia drew back her spear before thrusting it forward, meeting with Rook's hammer and causing scarlet flames and blue electricity to dance at the point thy connected.

**_One minute and thirty seconds..._**

_I'm doing the best as I can! Where the hell is Reimu?!_

**_She's not coming; you're already dead, hehehe._**

Rook grunted as his arms began to tremble once more. _You're really not helping... I'm on my last legs and I don't think I'm going to survive the next hour..._

**_Don't you have another spellcard lying somewhere in your pocket? You seem to like pulling attacks right out of your ass..._**

_It's not like I have the power or time to activate it! The Price will take effect as soon as 'Checkmate' times out!_

**_Which is to say one minute and ten seconds from now... Think fast Rook, because you're going to die..._**

Remilia pushed him away with one mighty swing of her spear. He managed to block couple of sharp strikes with clumsy and sluggish movements as Remilia came upon him. He spun around and struck his hammer upwards, sending Remilia flying towards the ceiling. The vampire gracefully landed at the other end of the hall, reaching deep within the folds of her dress and raising her spellcard.

**"It is once said that Odin paid with his eye for knowledge to be bestowed upon him. The power of foresight given to him by Mimir from the Well of Knowledge,"** hissed the vampire as she smiled, **"With that power he was able to determine the future of the world, on how it will end at the day of Ragnarok. I too have a similar power only that I have full control upon future events... The moon is red and I control the strings of fate. I can only activate this ability when certain conditions are met, be honoured Human, for I will give you front row seats to witnessing this power!"**

Her spellcard began to glow a deep shade of crimson.

**"I am the Scarlet Devil, the Mistress of Fate. I can make this whole world that you dearly love into my personal playground. I am invincible; no one will be able to defeat me, not ever! Not you, not the Shrine Maiden, and not the demons that tread this foul land,"** with a grin she released her spell**, "I will give you a future much more horrible than death. Destiny~ Miserable Fate!"**

Rook swung his hammer left and right to block the incoming chains, spinning around like whirlwind to hit the others. However it seemed like there were endless numbers of them spawning from the magic circle behind Remilia. He broke into a sprint, hitting any chain that got in his way while jumping from time to time to avoid some sneaky ones from grabbing his feet. He slowed his pace as a dense number of chains were upon him, jamming the head of his hammer down to dispel them and to use the lightning that it emitted to launch himself into the air. He raised his hammer above his head as he flew; bringing it down once he was close enough to Remilia.

There was the sound of blade piercing flesh and everything went silent.

Rook looked down on his stomach to see a glowing red chain gutting him. His hammer flickered and disappeared as his arms hung limply at his sides. His breathing was laboured and he gritted his teeth as he struggled to lift his arms in an attempt to push himself from the chain. He froze as he fought back the urge to cry in pain, twelve more chains stabbed into his body from his arms, back, shoulders and legs. Each having two to three chains each.

Two chains arced their back before lunging forward, piercing his wrists and stretching them apart. Rook hung helpless as the vampire slowly approached him with a bounce on her feet.

"Well, well, well... Like that Shrine Maiden, you managed to impress me with your tricks and power," praised Remilia, her voice back to its original tone, "Alas my dear intruder, you lost. Now I get to claim my prize..."

She extended her arm to reach for something, it was only then the air in front of Rook slowly became cold and bright with red light. Upon the vampire's open palm was a single white string with no redeeming features save for the faint light that surrounded it. Remilia caressed it gently with one finger and Rook suddenly felt something, something within the very recesses of his soul. It felt cold and menacing, fear biting into his heart as he watched Remilia cover the string with her hand.

That string was him. That was his fate.

"I did say that I will give you a fate worse than death, no?" Remilia began to tighten her grip around the string, causing Rook to choke as if someone was strangling him. The roulette had hit the jackpot. "I have no intention going back on my word..."

"Remilia..." whispered Rook, forcing power to course through his arms only to fail, "Remilia..."

"Good bye, Rook," and then Remilia enveloped the white string with red energy, causing a pillar of scarlet magic to engulf Rook.

"**REMILIAAAAAAA!"**

* * *

**4:00 Anti-meridian**

**Forest of Magic, Gensokyo**

* * *

"What the hell, ze?!" Marisa Kirisame came to a halt in mid-air as she caught the sight of a thick red pillar erupt from the distance. She buckled in her seat as she noticed the red mist being sucked from the landscape and into the bright red thing's direction.

Not knowing what in the world was going on while she was in the middle of an incident investigation; Marisa urged her broom to shoot forward at high speed. Whatever was happening, she could tell that someone needed her.

* * *

**4:00 Anti-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Gate, Gensokyo**

* * *

Rumia felt sick, she clutched her stomach in an attempt to ease her pain. Something big was going on. She can hear it, screams of terror and fear. She couldn't bear it, it was breaking her mind. She felt something dead and cold creeping in somewhere she thought her soul was. Wrapping its coils around her and suffocating her. Not being able to take the strain, she fell on her knees, groaning.

Hong who was with her broke into panic. "Miss Rumia? Miss Rumia, what's wrong?!"

The Gate Guard placed one hand on the Youkai of Darkness' shoulder and recoiled. She can see them. The strings of fate, the ones her mistress used to change the course of everything. But Hong didn't understand, it shouldn't be this powerful, let alone make a random youkai suddenly sick and suffering. It wasn't just the fate strings Hong could see but Rumia's Qi was quivering. One long white string with a hint of red was wrapping around Rumia's own.

It was like Remilia was causing the little youkai to be her servant without knowing. Only Remilia's allies and servant could also see fate strings since they were connected to her by the power. Hong had to stop it, since her Mistress was probably doing this subconsciously, her attention must not be solely upon Rumia. The Gate Guard would be able to cut the strings off if she did it right.

Placing a hand over the groaning Rumia's forehead, Hong began to stabilize her Qi. She couldn't but help worry for the man she only knew as Rook.

* * *

**4:00 Anti-meridian**

**Misty Lake, Gensokyo**

* * *

Cirno stared in awe at the red pillar that pierced the heavens. The clouds above were nothing more than a swirling eye where the pillar entered. The Ice Fairy was used to the cold, but she was surprised when one frosty feeling managed to catch her unaware. It was something inside, slithering within her like some sleepy snake. As a fairy she didn't quite understand it, but her best friend couldn't help but guess on what was going on.

"Come on, Dai! Look it's so pretty!" said Cirno without looking at her friend behind her.

"C-C-Cirno, I-I-I'm scared. We need to get out of here," replied Daiyousei as she hid behind the cover of a tree. Cirno remained unfazed at the lake's shore.

She wondered what it all meant, only to drop the idea when she realized she was just a fairy. Maybe one day... She'll find out, but she guessed that someone else had to find out first.

* * *

**4:00 Anti-meridian**

**?**

* * *

"So the little girl thinks she can put Gensokyo under her thumb just like that, huh?"

"She is truly a naive one, Yukari-sama."

"Ran... Do you think that it's about time you helped him?"

"..."

"I understand. He wouldn't be the Rook we all know and love if he gave up just like that. Besides, it seems like fate itself is not going to let this one pass..."

* * *

**4:00 Anti-meridian**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion, Throne of Odin, Gensokyo**

* * *

"Divine Spirit~ Fantasy Seal!"

Remilia's eyes flashed and dispelled her spellcard, causing the chains to disappear and for Rook to crumple on the floor. The scarlet light died as well, leaving the room dim and silent. The torrent of blood that gushed earlier was gone, leaving the room ankle deep in red liquid. A series of explosions followed shortly after Remilia's evasion. She bared her fangs as the Shrine Maiden dashed to hit her with her purification rod. Reimu swung and stepped back as Remilia retaliated with a claw. She drew her fist back and jabbed only to miss, giving Remilia the chance to swipe. She too missed as Reimu spun around and hit her across the face with the gohei.

The vampire's shoes squeaked and splashed against the bloodied floor, beating her wings to fly away from Reimu. The Shrine Maiden thrust an arm forward and threw a single charm. Remilia changed course and flew upwards, only to realize she fell for the Shrine Maiden's trap. Blue ofudas began to appear on every angle, and the world seemed to become slow all of a sudden. They all flew inwards and Remilia was forced to take them all.

With a roar, the vampire unleashed her fury in the form of knives. Remilia punched the air in front of her an out came hundreds of red and blue knives in a swirling vortex pattern. Reimu erected a barrier in front of her where most of the knives hit harmlessly. She then pulled a spellcard from her pocket and stretched her left hand to the side.

"Divine Spirit~ Fantasy Seal -Blink-"she declared in a soft tone.

Eight small Yin Yang orbs surrounded her and glowed a bright blue light. When she began to move, she was nothing more than a blur, leaving faint afterimages in her wake. She soon flew around the vampire, causing Remilia to dart her eyes around in search for her opponent. Firing a wild Danmaku to her right, she only succeeding in creating a hole in her mansion. Reimu still continued her dizzying flight, frustrating and confusing Remilia.

When she thought the time was right, Reimu unleashed her silent fury.

Red and white ofudas flew from everywhere. Anywhere Reimu passed waves and waves of paper charms flew out to meet Remilia, sending the vampire into a moment of panic at their sheer numbers. The white ofudas were slower than the rest but more numerous. The red ofudas were fast, though there were only maybe twelve of them flying around. Just when Remilia thought it couldn't get any worse, purple bullets began to spawn from Reimu's after images. The Shrine Maiden didn't seemed to find it uncomfortable moving at such high speeds, but kept on firing Danmaku after Danmaku throughout the whole battle.

Reimu knew she had Remilia on the ropes as she surrounded the vampire with charms and amulets. She mercilessly bombarded the vampire with all she had, gritting her teeth as she intensified her attacks. Amidst the explosions and paper charms, she caught sight of Remilia pulling on last spellcard from under her hat.

"Oh no you don't," snarled Reimu, revealing a hidden spellcard beneath her sleeve, "Fantasy Nature!"

**"Scarlet Destiny!"**

The world was then enveloped in white light.

* * *

Rook opened his eyes to destruction. He was lying on his back as he stared at the ruined ceiling of the mansion he built from scratch. A dull throb pounded against his skull as he struggled to sit up. Looking around him only revealed a whole lot more devastation than what he could imagine. Pillars were reduced to rubble, the floor decorated with craters while the walls sported holes ranging from the size of a pinhead to that of a house.

The red black checkered floor was filled with the red liquid from the torrents earlier while there were some patches of flames burning around it. He felt fortunate to have collapsed at the foot of the throne so he didn't have to worry about getting his clothes soaked in blood. At least that was the least of his problems.

A sound at the center of the hall directed his attention. He blinked hard as he tried to make out the figures moving, but all he could see were blurry images. He placed a hand on his temple and gave his mind a mental poke.

_Mima, you there?_

No response. The time he passed out must have either blocked or cut their connection. He felt a bit relieved and annoyed at the same time since he could no longer communicate with her for hints and ideas. Maybe it was better that way. Brushing his hand against his coat, he then used it to rub the exhaustion away from his eyes. That's when he identified the two figures moving about.

The first blur turned out to be Reimu, alive yet filled with burns and bruises. Her sleeves were gone and her ribbon was in tatters, she gripped her gohei so tightly that her scraped knuckles trickled droplets of blood. Her hair was undone, yet her ribbon managed to hold on. She looked battle worn and exhausted; she looked like she would drop at any given moment. Truthfully, she was looking better than the person opposite of her.

Rook didn't recognize Remilia until his vision completely cleared itself. The blue haired vampire was on her knees, arms burnt and dirtied hung limply on her sides. Her mop cap was now missing, causing her untidy hair to reveal itself. Her dress was also in tatters with rips across the stomach and the hem. Like Reimu, she looked ready to fall unconscious, though Rook was surprised that she wasn't regenerating as fast as few hours earlier.

He got his answer as his eyes noticed the sky above the ceiling. It was light blue with a tint of orange. Dawn has come and the scarlet night has passed.

The Human turned his attention back at the two fighters and slowly rose to his feet, albeit unsteadily. The two of them didn't notice him approach. Reimu kept her eyes fixed upon the fallen vampire as Remilia did something that managed to surprise even Rook. Remilia began to cry.

"It's not fair. Not fair at all!" she wept, giving the sky above a blank look as tears fell down her cheeks, "I was supposed to be strong. I am the Mistress of Fate... To be defeated by a simple human girl is... is... Oh the shame! Father wouldn't let me hear the end of this! I soiled the Scarlet name, I'm a failure! A failure! I couldn't even defeat a human!"

Reimu ignored this and turned to look at Rook who had now reached her. "Back from the dead?"

"What's wrong with her?" asked Rook as he let his gaze rest upon the vampire.

"She knocked you out, I beat her, now she's like this," Reimu bluntly replied, "She's caused too much trouble; I can't let her go with just this..." The Shrine Maiden lowered her head and spoke in a grim tone, "I might have to seal her..."

"This can't be happening this can't be happening!" sobbed Remilia, throwing herself on the ground. She then slowly lifted her head to look at her opponents, "You... To see me in this state... You take pleasure from my suffering, no? W-w-why don't you just kill me... And... Be done with it..."

Reimu then took a step forward and raised her gohei to mid-chest. "I don't have any intention of doing that, you know? Leaving you sealed for a few weeks would be good enough and then you'll go free. No need to be so dramatic about it, sheesh..."

Just a she was about to commence the sealing, she stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Looking back, Reimu saw Rook's solemn expression and she was immediately confused. The Human ignored this and cautiously approached the weeping vampire before kneeling to her level. She glared daggers at him as he came close, almost ready to swipe any part of his flesh that came near enough for her to reach. However with the presence of Reimu, she could barely do anything but shoot Rook a nasty look.

"No, don't seal her," muttered Rook as he continued to study Remilia.

"I don't need your pity or mercy, especially not from a human such as yourself!" sneered the vampire, her red eyes flashing.

"Why not then? I mean she almost killed you! Heck, she almost killed us along with the entire countryside!" argued Reimu, frowning upon the Human, "This is too much even for me to let slide. She's too dangerous; we can't just let her prance around with a clean slate."

"Reimu, she has more than enough reason to kill me, and I understand. And I'm telling you myself that she won't pull something as stupid as this since I'm vouching for her," explained Rook without looking at the Shrine Maiden behind him. Reimu on the other hand had her jaw hanging.

"V-vouch? Vouch?! But you never vouch for anyone!" sputtered Reimu with her hands in the air, "How can you be so sure that she won't do something this stupid again?!"

"Because Remilia isn't the type of person to think twice on taking on people that she can't touch," Rook replied in a sad tone, staring into the vampire's surprised scarlet eyes. Fortunately for him, a vampire's charm had little effect on him. "Remilia... I knew I should've never left. Now look at you, how low have you fallen."

"Fool, do not speak as if you know me," she hissed with spite, "Even if you make up a story, there is no god above and below that will ever make me believe you."

"But Remilia," began Rook with sigh, "I know you more than anyone else, save for your mother and father. Having watched you grow into the young lady you are today over the centuries. If you are only willing to hear the entire story, then you will understand. You deserve to know that truth."

The vampire smirked evilly at that. "Is that so? Then what proof do you bring aside from the words you silver tongue holds?"

"My fate. At its very base you'll see something that will clear everything up," replied the Human.

Gritting her teeth, the vampire snapped and lashed out. Reimu moved in to intervene only to have Rook signal her to stop. She watched as Remilia grabbed something invisible in the air and everything froze in red light. What Reimu net saw took her breath away. All around her were hundreds, no, thousands of red strings. Their sheer numbers almost rendered them uncountable. They connected to almost anything, rubble, furniture, ceilings and decorations. Heck, Reimu even saw one tiny string protrude from her heart. She made an attempt to grab it, only to see her hand pass through.

She turned her attention back at Rook and Remilia, both kneeling on the floor. The vampire had in her hands a single white string that came from Rook's heart. She began to trace it with her fingers as she thoroughly examined it with a critical eye. The Human on the other hand was more relaxed if not a bit sad. It was as if something heavy was suddenly placed upon his shoulders. Remilia tugged at the string and Rook gave out an involuntary grunt.

It was weird, seeing these strings connect to everything. Did Reimu ever give notice to it before? Were all these strings the fate of everything around her? From the living to the non-living? Her gaze travelled to the very end of Rook's string. The color white was slowly turning into the shade of dull gray before lighting up again. At its very tip where it ended, it was blue, electric blue. She heard Remilia's proclamation of him having a fate worse than death. Was it all going to come true? If so, then why was his fate blue?

She turned her eyes towards the part where Remilia was focusing. It was at the base of Rook's string, it looked brighter than the tip or the part that followed it. It was pure white, though there was something wrong. There were number of strings connected to it.

And one particular string was connected to Remilia.

"I-Impossible..." whispered the vampire as she gazed at the string.

"It isn't. We've met before and my fate was once tied to the bloodline of the Scarlets after I made a promise to your father, a promise to my best friend," replied Rook, looking into the distance, "Fate never lies. No matter how you bend it to your will, fate will always run its natural course. Still, this doesn't unlock the memories you have sealed, this just give you an idea that I'm doing this for your sake. That my mercy is sincere and that I really do care. I'm a man of my word, and I'm not about to turn my back to a promise I made with Clark Alphonse Scarlet and Natalie Rosella Scarlet."

"Father... Mother... They entrusted my life to... you?" Remilia muttered half to herself.

"No, not just you but your sister too..." clarified Rook as he stood up. He offered his hand to Remilia, "Flandre... I can save her, but I'll need your help. I need your strength if we'll be able to help Flandre regain her sanity. I've been proved wrong a lot of times that I can't do things only by my own power."

Reimu let out a huff.

"So please, we'll have to work together if you want your sister back," finished the Human still extending his arm to Remilia.

The vampire had her bowed down as she stared at the ground. Rook wasn't able to see her face so it was hard for him to determine her expression. At last, Remilia lifted her head and finally spoke.

"No."

A hand pulled Rook backwards, sending him into the floor followed by a shout, "Duplex Barrier!"

There was an explosion and everything broke into chaos. Rook managed to see Remilia turn into a swarm of bats and disappear somewhere above the ceiling. He turned his attention to the attacker who was bombarding Reimu's barrier over and over again. The Shrine Maiden's shoes were slipping backwards as the force from every hit intensified. By the time Rook got up, the barrier broke and Reimu was thrown behind him. That's when he managed to see the culprit.

Patchouli.

The moment she laid eyes upon him, she immediately hurled a grand purple flame towards him with cold rage. The wide area the fire ball took gave Rook no chance of dodging it, even if he did, Reimu will take the brunt of the attack. So he did the only thing that came to mind, he used his body as a shield.

As expected he was blown backwards through the wooden doors and into the bridge hall.

With his clothes smoking, Rook rolled into a crouch; barely maintain his balance before falling to one knee. He turned his gaze to Patchouli and saw that she had enveloped herself in an ominous purple aura unlike the power she had displayed during their battle. The Human sprung into action by firing off a fast stream of lightning bullets before diving to the side as a fire ball came his way. He was about to retaliate when the aura surrounding the Magician spread outwards, transforming into purple flames as they flew.

The fire managed to lick Rook's cheek and burn him. This wasn't Danmaku anymore. She was aiming for the kill.

An ofuda hit Patchouli square on the back and immediately turned her rage to Reimu. The Shrine Maiden threw one ofuda after another as an act of defiance against Patchouli's flames. Rook wasn't about to question how she managed to revive so fast from his tranquilizer darts, but he was willing to try bringing her down the same way. The Human and the Shrine Maiden caught the Magician in a pincer attack, causing her to attack by only using a ring explosion around her. That was before Remilia decided to intervene.

Falling from the ceiling in a red blur, Remilia hit the ground and let loose a mild tremor that unbalanced her Librarian's opponents.

She threw a spear at Reimu to which the Shrine Maiden responded with a barrier. Reimu was sent flying into a wall.

Patchouli sent a pillar of purple flames towards Rook which forced him to dodge. She followed by turning the flames into a giant hand in an attempt to crush him underneath. He managed to roll out of the way and fire a lightning bolt that hit her in the chest. The Magician didn't even seemed fazed by the hit and continued attacking.

**_Run, they're too powerful. You and Reimu will only die._**

That was the only moment Rook ever agreed with Mima, so he reluctantly drew his dagger and absorbed energy from it just this once. Immediately all his pain soothed and faded away, he felt powerful as the energy ran through his veins. He let loose a red lightning bolt that slammed Patchouli into a pillar. He was about to send another blow but Remilia caught him by his arm before sending him to the ground.

"You don't have to do this, Remilia," he growled as he struggled under her strength.

"I'm to letting you... Do as you please. Even if I did know you, YOU WILL NOT HARM MY SISTER!" she shrieked as she threatened to snap his neck.

Suddenly she was off of him thanks to a Yin Yang orb flying above. Remilia was about to pounce back, but with a red lightning to the gut she got the message. Rook was beginning to feel light headed from the amount of power swirling inside of him. He had to get out of here soon and cut the power off. Reimu limped towards him as she used her gohei as crutch.

"We have to beat it, this is getting dangerous," she huffed, apparently out of breath. A groan escaped her lips as fire roared around them trapping them in a spiral prison of flames. Patchouli seemed reluctant to let them go easily and was casting a purple flame tornado to cage them in.

"Enough is enough, Damn it!" roared Reimu, pulling out a spellcard from her pocket, "Divine Spirit~ Fantasy Seal!"

The spectrum of giant orbs dispelled the flames and exploded into random directions, Patchouli dodged n orb however Remilia wasn't as lucky. The light headed feeling Rook had was getting intense until it finally caused all remaining energy he had in his body to disappear. The last thing he knew before passing out was collapsing in Reimu's arms.

"God Damn it, why now?!" snapped the Shrine Maiden as she struggled to keep Rook upright. She ducked low as a bullet whizzed past her head. Getting the hint, she flew straight up into the ceiling and disappearing behind the hole. Reimu shot into open air, the cold morning wind piercing her eyes making them water. She shook her head and flew on as a purple bullet missed her and her passenger by a hair's breadth. Patchouli was still hot on their tail, five crystal stones hovering around her.

The crystals were launched forward and at the speed Reimu was travelling she had little time to dodge.

"Love Sign~ MASTER SPARK!"

A magnificent rainbow beam tore through the air with a destructive force, disintegrating the crystals on the spot. Reimu spun around to see their saviour, only to realize that it was the person she would least expect.

"Go, I'll hold her off!" yelled Marisa, gripping her hakkero tightly in her right hand while her left kept her broom steady. The Witch's gaze rested upon the other blonde who Reimu was carrying, "Take him to your shrine, I'll follow as soon as I can."

"Marisa..." the Shrine Maiden whispered in shock.

"GO!"

Without another word, Reimu shot off into the direction of shrine.

* * *

"La la, la la, la lalalala~ Ahh~ the Bishop's counterattack was a success~!" sung a feminine voice from behind one of the few windows in the Scarlet Mansion. Maroon eyes watched as a black-white spot shoot a grand laser at the purple spot surrounded by crystals of five different colors. "At least the pests were chased out. I couldn't have Lady Patchouli waking up knowing Rook scored a point."

There was the brief sound of wings fluttering before the voice spoke once more.

"If only Lady Remilia managed to finish the job, *sigh* looks like Sakuya's going to work overtime again," the voice continued in a depressed tone before reverting back to its normal one, "Hm, what do I know? It's not like I care about anything else, whatever makes Lady Patchouli happy makes me happy~ I just hope Rook realizes that it's nothing personal..."

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: YOU, KEEP OFF THE FOURTH WALL, CAN'T YOU READ THE SIGN?_

_Oh what? Hehehe, didn't realize we were on air. Gah! I just can't finish that Endless Echo chapter. If you're one of the few people looking forward to it, expect it before Christmas. If not, then the New Year. My holiday schedule's just really full and I can't focus. I think I'm losing my grip here... Maybe I just need to play a few games here and there. Maybe that'll make me feel better._

_Hm? Ah, the chapter. Well sorry for dipping a few notes on what's happening in IRL. Anyhow, I have to say that this chapter was hinting a whole lot of stuff than it let on. Honestly I think I dropped a few bombs than I intended but hell, only the sharpest eye would be able to catch them. Dem Spoilerz.._

_Yay, 100 REVIEWS, TO THE PEOPLE THAT MANAGED TO PUT UP WITH MY AMATEUR WRITING, I THANK YOU ALL!. _

_However this chapter does not mark the end of the "Homecoming Arc", heh that sounded cool. There's still maybe three chapters to go before we dive into those sweet, sweet backstories once more. Take off where we left off, aye? Now let's just summarize a few bits of his arc, shall we?_

_Right, so we get a crash course on Gensokyo's situation with youkai related activities and the Scarlet Incident brewing. Rumia speaks british english and we managed to unlock a majority of Hong's memories. Hooray! Rook throws it down with Patchouli, acquiring what might be an important tool to regaining Flandre's sanity (guess what it is). Koakuma is a calculating individual with Yandere tendencies and... Actually I leave the others out. Flandre loses it completely though to whom? And Rook and Reimu team up to fight Remilia, giving our Hero (?) a chance to help the charisma breaker a chance to reclaim fragments of her broken memories._

_Finally..._

_ THE. GOSH DARNED. REFERENCES. _

_So that's this Arc in a nutshell, without the danmaku, explosions, long actions sequence and poorly written paragraphs._

_And I think I'm losing my poetic skills... Crap..._

_Well that's all for now. No, I won't be writing the next chapter. Endless Echo has become top priority next to Memebase and Youtube. Please Internet let me write for once!_

_Merry Christmas and Happy Armageddon!_

_See you all soon, YAHOO~! _


	23. Chapter 15: Friends

_Nicolas Notes: I lived in a frozen hell. Mission was a failure, good game everyone._**  
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**{Saving game: 22/22/13}**

**{Loading checkpoint}**

**{Welcome to the Madness of Laevateinn}**

**Select Difficulty :**

**{_Yukkuri_****} {**_Normal**} {**Hard_**} {**_Lunatic_**} {**_Phantasm_**} {**_Nightmare __Phantasm_**}**

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**CHAPTER 16: Friends**

**Year : 2005**

**5:58 Anti- meridian**

**Hakurei Shrine, Porch, Gensokyo**

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The cold early morning breeze caressed Rook's face, waking him from his slumber. A dull ache pounding against his lower back elicited a groan from him; it was probably from sleeping on the ground. He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to clear his mind. Rubbing the sleep off his left eye, his mouth opened wide as a tired yawn escaped him while stretching his right arm. He flinched as his right arm began to throb in pain, causing him to almost bite his tongue from the shock. He rubbed the throbbing area with an annoyed growl, making sure that he wasn't injured or anything.

That was when it all came rushing back to him.

The mansion, Patchouli, his fight with Remilia, and then explosions, the images of the past night were nothing but a blur yet somehow managing to burn into his memory. He passed out while in the middle of being assaulted by the Scarlet Devil and the Unmoving Library. He wasn't strong enough to beat them both at once unlike five years ago when he was still in full control of his powers. Gritting his teeth, Rook punched the ground in frustration, leaving behind a dent on the dirt. Wait… dirt?

"Ah, I see. Finally back from the dead?" croaked an ancient voice which reminded the Human of scales for some reason. It wasn't long before he recognized the voice and found the source, it was swimming within the pond a few paces away from him. Lilies drifted along the clear surface of the water while round stones surrounded its shores, giving it an oriental vibe to it.

Rook glanced towards the source of the voice and found a five foot long giant turtle staring at him with wise amber eyes from beneath the waters. Tilting his head from left to right with an audible crack, Rook stood up and dusted his pants before limping towards the pond. The turtle waited patiently as he struggled to approach, giving him a weird look when he collapsed on his hindquarters looking utterly exhausted.

"Good morning Genji, now do you mind explaining why I'm sleeping at the porch without a futon?" Rook asked crossly though he was staring directly at the sky above him as he laid down on his back. It was must have been a comical sight to be talking to a turtle, if he were an Outsider he would have expected the voice to come from anything else but a turtle. However Rook knew better than that.

"Crabby Miko dumped ya out 'ere after she healed you last night. Seriously Mason, the first time ya meet the girl after five years ya go overworking her again. No wonder she's been lazy, couldn't ya at least lay off her for a while? Ya should be grateful she bothered to heal ya, but it ain't my place to gripe. Ya should've seen her; never seen Reimu that worried, it almost scared the geebus out of me." The ancient turtle raised its scaled neck to get a better view of Rook, "Now what did ya just do to make the girl that frantic? I know you're a crazy death seeker that's dangerously prone to getting himself into weird shit incident after incident, but seriously Mason, this is a whole new level."

"I suppose Reimu told you what happened last night, eh?" Rook replied lazily, scratching his cheek.

"Damn straight she did, also saw this big ass red light over at the distance," continued Genji, "Now if I had money, I bet that ya were the cause of that spectacle, aye? Oh ya were? Damn… What you pissed off this time?"

"A Chinese Gate Guard, Time Stopping Serial Killer Maid, an Arch Nemesis Master Mage, and a Vampire of Fate," deadpanned Rook in an acidic tone.

"Mhmm, well you've gotten yourself in worse shit before so…" the turtle trailed off for a few moments before speaking once again, "Anyhow, as yours truly just said, Reimu patched ya up last night with all your crazy injuries. With you being you, you didn't die as if that wasn't obvious enough. Worked a bit of my magic too to speed up the regeneration process, kinda like that vixen girl ya always hang around with, but still, I think ya really should have kept them scars on your face, you looked manlier that way instead of your usual face."

"Genji…" warned the Human, the air around them started to smell of ozone.

The turtle's eyes widened in defense, "Hey, it was just a suggestion. Too bad Reimu snapped at me. A shame…"

"How is she?" asked Rook, "Reimu I mean."

"Depressed, won't come out to my calls. I bet she's frustrated since she got her ass handed to her, and even _that_ rarely happens. I think ya better give her some alone time, ya know? Let things cool down a bit, 'cause if ya go traipsing in her room right now a Yin Yang orb will be out to get ya," Genji's head dipped underwater for a moment before rising up again, "Ahh, refreshing. Anyhow, this is the first incident which got her all worked up. Can ya imagine waking up every day to pissed off screaming like someone on their…. Uh, you know I'll leave that one out, but you get the point. First she got in trouble with that Gate Guard she keeps muttering about and now she was forced to run from a fight. And by the gods, a Hakurei never runs away with their tails between their legs… Metaphorically speaking. Must've been the first time I saw one of our girls actually run since the nineteenth century."

"I shouldn't have gotten her involved… but then again she's the Shrine Maiden, anything goes wrong with this world she just has to put her nose in…" said Rook as he frowned, "She really is the same as the others, but a bit different too. Makes you wonder if she'll ever settle down and have a family."

"Heh, well it ain't the first time we handled this kind of pickle. Hell we talk about on a sixty year cycle with every Hakurei Maiden that's been our care," Genji stared at the Human knowingly as he tilted his head to the side, "The girl has a lot to learn. Doesn't she remind ya of a certain someone, Mason?"

To this, the Human sat up and looked at the turtle warningly. Genji however remained unfazed as he stared at Rook right in the eye with a bored expression.

Finally, Rook broke off the stare, "You know you really shouldn't be bringing that subject up. Give Reimu some time and she'll be as strong as Mi—…Her _predecessor…_ Maybe even better."

He then turned a dejected glance at the ground and spoke no more. Genji uttered a snort at this, "'Better' you say. Ya know the 12th was the strongest of the lineage."

"Drop the subject now," hissed Rook to which Genji merely rolled his eyes.

"Fine, so do ya have any idea on what happened to your excursion?" grumbled the turtle, making an odd clicking noise deep down his throat, "The Outside World I mean, did you manage to track that mansion back here into Gensokyo?"

"A hell lot happened, it'll probably take a while…" replied Rook, "But yes, I've managed to track down the lingering traces of magic it left at the Outside, no matter how microscopic they seem to be. Though I have to say I got side tracked sightseeing and helping out a few acquaintances."

"Hmph, right. I don't suppose ya checked women's asses back there, didn't cha'?" said the turtle with narrowed eyes and a sly tone.

"Genji... You know me all too well that I'm not that kind of person. I'm not in the mood for a that right now, not until all of my problems magically disappear. I still have a lot of loose ends to tie," the Human then turned his gaze to the surrounding area. Everything looked almost the same before Reimu's possession took place. The same calm and tranquil atmosphere the shrine emitted, the same fresh air that kept a person invigorated, and the same derelict and unkept Shrine that he was so fond of. It kind of reminded him of better times.

"I swear the girl's rubbing off ya with all the serious talk and responsibilities. Minus the laziness by the way," said the turtle before joining the Human in the tranquil silence. Birds chirped at the distance while the hymn of the trees and their leaves sounded throughout the woodlands that surrounded the Shrine. Clouds raced against each other in the sky while the wind decided to pass overhead. The Human suddenly felt the touch of drowsiness at the back of his mind yet he ignored it. He planned on enjoying the morning even if it was only for a few minutes.

"Not a mist in sight. You two must've done a damn good job," commented Genji in his deep and ancient baritone voice. How he spoke with that brittle beak he had along with his bear was beyond anything the Human could explain through simple words.

"Yeah," replied Rook, noticing it for the first time, "I guess the incident's resolved. Reimu managed to send her message and the mansion grudgingly complied. I think they'll think twice stirring trouble again…"

He thought back to his conversation with Remilia. His words must have gotten through her somehow. Despite her hostile actions, Remilia seemed to believe that he was a part of her past. One that was holding the truth of the lies she's been being fed for years. It's only a matter of time and soon Patchouli would be exposed. Still one thing intrigued him. The Magician was shot six tranquilizer bullets which would have kept even Yukari asleep for weeks. How she countered the drugs that could put a full grown Oni asleep was beyond him. Something else must have been at work. It only piled up in his list of Things to Investigate.

"You should go see her," piped up the turtle to which Rook looked at him questioningly.

"Excuse me? Didn't you just tell not go in?"

"I know what's in your mind, you should head out soon. But before you do, you should speak with Reimu… She's inside, sipping tea and thinking… for once, hehe."

"What the hell happened to 'Ya'?" asked the Human, "Seriously, make up your mind next time."

"It gets tiring sometimes, cut me some slack," grumbled Genji before retreating into the waters. Rook smirked at the ancient turtle's antics and stood up. The sakura trees behind the shrine were bear, winter was coming soon. It was a wise choice for him to keep his coat, and upon further inspection, it seemed like all of his clothing were good as new. Magic… Really convenient.

"Oh well," he said to himself, "Time to have a little chat…"

Rook then approached the shrine's back door and slid it open.

* * *

The sight of the familiar interior of the Shrine relaxed his nerves. It was mainly made up of a humble sized living room where the floor was covered with tatami mats while the walls were painted a dull shade of white worn from age. The inside of the Shrine was just as neglected as the outside, though it brought a more comforting and warm atmosphere than the cruel chill of the winds outside. Due to the Shrine's sorry state, one would hear the wood that kept the roof up creak every time the wind blew by.

Not only that, but the floors sometimes creaked as well if one would pass by them. Rook remembered one time when he decided to sleep here and found out that it was impossible for him to get some sleep. However it did have its perks. One was that the floors were so squeaky that anyone could hear anything passing by the hall. A very useful thief detector during one of Marisa's escapades. Not that there were many objects to take from the Shrine. The living room was bare save for the lone kotatsu located before the back door, a perfect spot for flower viewing during the spring.

The kitchen and dining room were combined into one while the rest of the Shrine is divided into the Altar, a couple of guest rooms, and the Maiden's quarters. How the Hakurei Shrine Maidens endured such living conditions was beyond what Rook could think of. In his time of teaching them the basic skills needed to live and fight, he had always dismissed it as a form of training. Still, it was not like he hasn't offered to repair and renovate the Shrine for free every time there was a new Hakurei Maiden. It was only the fact that the Maidens were all too stubborn to have their Shrines fixed, insisting that they'll fix every their own way. Reimu was no different.

When he entered the room, the Shrine Maiden was already there, sitting with her tea untouched in front of her. She didn't even acknowledge Rook's presence, but continued to stare at her tea. The Human blinked twice at the lack of reaction before releasing a sigh. He closed the door behind him and approached the kotatsu, sitting down across Reimu. He studied the Shrine Maiden's face for a few seconds before greeting her with a plain, "Good morning?"

"'Morning," she muttered back in a dead hollow sort of tone.

Silence threatened to engulf them once more just before Rook broke it again, "That's all you got to say? 'Morning'?"

Reimu's lifeless eyes climb towards Rook's face before going back at the cooling tea. "What else should I say?"

"Oh don't give me that bull crap," snapped Rook looking very angry. He pounded the table once and pointed a finger between the Shrine Maiden's eyes, "What the hell is this?! 'Sulking' because you lost?! I mean come on Reimu; you know you're better than this…"

"I'm not 'sulking' because I lost," deadpanned the Maiden.

"Then what the hell is it with your attitude?"

The Hakurei Shrine Maiden made no response at that and continued to look at her tea as if it were more interesting than her current situation. Rook found it childish for her to be feeling like that right now when he knew she was made of tougher stuff. But then again he was different, he had centuries to learn when to 'suck it up and plot your revenge', he wasn't like Reimu who despite experiencing a number of life and death battles was still frail in both physical and mental terms.

It seems like her pride is preventing her from accepting her defeat.

"You know… if you're going to go on like that, you're going to get yourself killed…" said Rook while surveying the room. After looking around, he finally rested his gaze at the girl in front of him, "Thanks for saving me back there. Can't even count the times when you saved my life… I owe you another one."

"That is if you actually paid your debts for once," Reimu coldly replied, a little light coming back to her eyes, "The bandage and healing charms I used didn't come cheap you know…"

"Thank you nevertheless," said Rook with a grin, "I would've looked horrible with a scar across my face."

"Genji said that it would be 'manly'."

"What does he know? He's a turtle…"

The Miko cracked a smile at that. The Human was beginning to think that he was succeeding in pulling her out of her sour mood. Good, because her ancestors wouldn't let him hear the end of it should he encounter them. A lazy Reimu is the best Reimu. These kinds of problems were normal for every Hakurei generation. Rook was no stranger to them, so he knew that the best way to lift their spirits up was through a simple joke or a bit of small talk. Anything just to get the Maidens' mind off their failures.

Rook was wrenched out of his line of thought when he saw the girl slump back into a somber mood. That was when he remembered that it wasn't exactly that easy talking to the Shrine Maidens.

"What now?" he asked, this time his words laced with genuine concern.

"That was close one, wasn't it?" she looked at him straight in the eye, "We almost died."

"Hey, it's not like you're a stranger to that," replied Rook in a casual tone.

"Rook, back then… When you were talking to the vampire… Do you really care for them so much that you're willing to go through hell and back just to get them to talk to you?" asked Reimu, a small fire flickering behind her eyes, "What do you feel now that… you know… we got kicked out?"

The Human took a moment to choose his words, "Is there any reason why you're asking this?"

"It just seems so… Sad," admitted the Shrine Maiden. Her tea was cold now, no longer steaming, "You put all your effort and then suddenly '_poof'._"

_Couldn't have said it any better. Poof indeed_, a sigh escaped his lips as he responded, "Yeah, I'm willing to take an army if I have to. If I can just talk to them once more, convince them… Even the Magician, then I wouldn't be in the crap hole situation I was tossed in. but thinking back last night, I guess I didn't try hard enough. I was weak, I didn't get past Remilia's barriers, Patchouli crushed my chance to convince the vampire, and then we got chased off like pests. Nothing I'm not used to."

Reimu studied him for a few seconds before slowly saying, "You know how you used to tell me stories about how you were back before you arrived in Gensokyo and how you would plan out a master scheme just to meet them again? Those times when you could've gone all day about that little girl you used to take care of? I just realized how hard it seems for you."

"I appreciate the sympathy but I don't think that'll do me any good anyway…" was Rook's words accompanied with a smile, "All I can do is to be stubborn and try again."

"Hmm, you're going back?" asked Reimu with an eye brow raised.

"Of course, but not yet. I need a little time to myself. I'll probably head to the village after this, check if the situation's solved for good. After that I'll be tying up a couple loose ends and I'll be looking for a place to rest by evening. I got big plans now the Incident's come and gone, you should have some too since the village's probably working on an offering."

"Hmph, I wouldn't get my hopes up. I promise…"

"Right… Say Reimu, have you been training lately?"

"With the few Youkai attacks happening over the past few years, I didn't see any reason why I should. It was only until now that I got to fight again, this time with the Spellcard Rules implemented. I really thought I was getting rusty, you know?"

"Then I'll just add your classes in my To Do list then?" teased Rook with a smirk on his lips.

"I'm not a little girl anymore!" protested the Shrine Maiden.

"So… Since when did you get an Angel's Statue?" he asked while glancing at the thing.

"What? I don't have an Angel Statue" was Reimu's confused reply.

Rook blinked and found out that the Statue sitting at the corner was now gone. He dismissed this as a part of his imagination, "Right…Must be the exhaustion catching up with me."

Reimu smirked as she entertained the thought of her former teacher turning senile before remembering something and immediately piped up, "By the way, have you encountered any strange individuals before arriving at the mansion?"

"Err, no. Why'd you ask?" said the Human with curious eyes.

"Nothing… I thought should just make sure," lied the Shrine maiden, _Something's off… I still don't buy that Youkai girl's story. Maybe I should've talked to her a bit more._

"Well, I did meet a Man-Eating Youkai and hired it for help," he admitted while glaring at a particular corner of the room, "Sneaky little thing at first, but it agreed to work with me till I got to the mansion. Heck it even helped me fight the Gate Guard. Oh, and while we're on the subject, you mentioned you had trouble dealing with her, right?"

"Yes…" replied Reimu dejectedly.

"Once my business is done, we'll be covering melee combat again. Apparently some people don't like playing by your rules, so you have to be ready," said Rook with authority. After a few seconds of silence, he got up and said, "I'm making more tea, stay here…"

The Shrine Maiden was about to say something, but the Human quickly slid the door as he left. It didn't even take him thirty seconds to reach the kitchen and fill a kettle with water. Rook raised an eyebrow at a conveniently placed gas stove beside the sink. Lighting the stove up with a spark, he then placed the kettle above the flames before leaning with his back against the dining table. Few things change here in Gensokyo. Just like the past centuries that flew by.

He can hear the water bubbling within the kettle. Looking up, he stared at the dull colored ceiling as he was deep in thought. Yesterday he was fighting for his life and was performing a seemingly impossible mission while being pitted against mind wracking puzzles and powerful beings, now he's leaning on a table inside a Shrine apparently waiting for tea to be ready while playing the 'Wise Elder' to a teenage commando priestess. All of it was strange, if it wasn't for years of experience and tolerance Rook might have broken down, but that was to be expected if one were living in this Land of Illusions. Strange was a common thing here with it being encountered in every corner.

It was always like this, the same routine throughout the decades. Something new comes in, The Hakurei beats them up, and then they settle down. Or maybe Youkai eat humans, and humans exterminate Youkai, the same cycle that never ends, an infinite monotonous existence spiced only with the prospect of something new and more advanced opponent life throws at a person. Rook's been there and back for the past century; training the Hakurei maidens, doing errands for Yukari, assist in solving an incident.

_I did say that you'll suffer a fate worse than death, no?_

Remilia Scarlet's words repeated themselves within his mind. He was still alive, he was still breathing, so does that mean that it wasn't his 'fate' to die back there? Was it due to that act that he was still alive, waiting for an event that will break him? Rook looked at his hands and thought to himself, _I've already been struck by fate once. I'm not going to let it control me again._

Still, the message was clear: something much, much worse was coming.

The human was snapped out of his trance as he heard the kettle beginning to steam. He then poured a bit of tea over his cup along with Reimu's. Placing both cups on a tray, he began his way back to the living room where Reimu remained seated. The Shrine Maiden gratefully accepted her warm tea before taking her first sip of the morning, Rook likewise did the same. He wasn't much of a tea person as much as he loved coffee, though a nice change of pace once in a while was good.

He examined his steaming cup as he was once again lost in thought. He used to know another person who loved coffee.

"You're going to leave now aren't you?" asked Reimu with her cup still in her hands.

"Would you like me to leave now?" mused Rook while taking a sip from his tea.

"Rook, I know you even if my life's just a fraction of yours. You have this glint in your eye whenever you have an agenda, a plan, and a target," replied Reimu with a shrug, "Seems like you're going to be busy again. How can I tell? Seriously, you're an open book even if you say you're good at hiding things. You also mentioned it a couple minutes ago. Why don't you take a break, you look bushed."

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the Human frowned at her after his reply was shot down before he even said it. Maybe even when she forgot about Yukari, she still has a trait or two she picked up. Speaking of the Elder Youkai, he made a mental note to hunt her down. Maybe a visit to Mayohiga was in order.

"I'm fine. I've managed to stay awake through days worse than this," Rook nodded his head in a sagely manner, "You should've seen the second World War at the Outside. Horrible things they kept dropping bombs on every corner of the globe…"

Reimu winced at the mention of the event. She wasn't really accustomed to the goings and happenings at the Outside World, especially anything that involved wars. Sitting at a more comfortable position, Rook leaned forward the kotatsu and rested his head on his right palm.

"Speaking of bombs," he continued, "Mind if I ask why a certain walking time bomb didn't appear to help us last night? Strange how a huge amount of explosions occurred in one place and no one beams of loved were added to the fire. Is there something wrong?"

He ended the last sentence with a tone of concern, fearing what he suspected to be true. He looked at Reimu with a hard expression and sighed as she refused to answer. That only confirmed his suspicions, Reimu's friendship with Marisa had taken collateral damage from the Sealing of Mima five years ago. Just because the Shrine Maiden took his side instead of her best friend's. Rook can guess back from her reaction when he brought the subject up back at the mansion that they haven't spoken to each other for a long, long time. Wonderful…

"Last night, while we were making our escape," spoke Reimu as she raised her head to meet Rook's eyes, "She came and saved us…"

_Hmm, guess I'm wrong, _thought the Human as he gestured the Shrine Maiden to continue.

She inhaled a deep breath and a sip of tea as she began anew, "Your librarian friend was dead set on killing us. You were unconscious that time so I had to carry you, meaning that I can't move around much with your weight. I thought we were going to explode into a million pieces when she fired those crystals of hers. But then, Marisa came. She offered to stay behind so we can escape. Last thing she said was for us to go, so I did. I don't think she bothered to stick around after we were out of range. Still, that was the only thing she said. Marisa hasn't visited the Shrine since last night, or even bothered to check up on us. Don't you think it's strange?"

Rook raised an eyebrow at that, "What? Becoming more mature and helping out an old friend? Reimu, she had five years to reflect on her actions. She'd be the densest person I've ever knew if she didn't change or didn't realize her mistake. You're not the one she's angry with." He paused for a moment as he let that one sink in. "She's angry with me."

"Right, and as if that wasn't obvious enough," replied Reimu in a snarky manner.

"Just how long have you two been cold shouldering each other?" asked Rook.

"Three years," muttered Reimu before frowning as the Human chuckled. "What?"

"Lover's quarrel taken to extreme heights," was the only thing he managed to say before recomposing himself, "I think you should go talk to her."

"What?" Reimu looked at him as if he sprouted wings and a tail, "It's not that easy!"

"Sure it is, I'm going to see her right now," Rook casually said. However the Shrine Maiden's reaction was less than relaxed. Standing up with her nostrils flaring, she stomped the tatami mats hard as she could while pointing a threatening finger at the man before her.

"ARE YOU SUICIDAL OR ARE YOU JUST INSANE?! SHE'S GOING TO KILL YOU!" shrieked the brunette in an uncivilized manner. The Human merely gave her a bored look while picking his ear.

"I know what I'm getting myself into," he responded while flicking away earwax, earning him a look of disgust from the angry girl. He then sighed and looked at Reimu's panicked eyes, "Look, I can't just leave this hanging. Sooner or later I'm going to need her help, same goes for you. If I don't do something now then for the gods all I know is that she's going to start hunting me down. It's only logical and practical to apologized to those we've wronged. Especially when we screwed with their life with such magnitude."

Sitting back down, Reimu's eyes never left Rook, "I still think this is a bad idea."

"She has firepower, something I don't have at the moment," stated Rook while turning his head to the left.

"You're going to use her?!" asked the Shrine Maiden, utterly bewildered.

"Hey, she watched you get struck by lightning eleven times," said the Human, "Besides, I have no intention of doing so. I need her as an ally once more, not a weapon."

Reimu glared at him for a few more seconds before finally giving up with a huff, "Do whatever you want, but don't come to me if you get yourself vaporized, or else I'm exorcising you. Got that?!"

"Yeah," replied the Human with a small smile. The Hakureis were an amusing bunch.

"Now get some sleep, you can stay here for the night if you want. Your work can start tomorrow," she said haughtily with an angry expression. She opened one eye to study Rook for a moment before saying, "Hm, it's not like you're going to get anywhere in your state even if you tried. No, food's not for free. You want to eat, you work. But leave that stuff for later. Right now, hit the hay."

* * *

Rook left for his first destination the next morning feeling refreshed and well fed. Shortly after the Hakurei Maiden's orders for him to sleep, he collapse almost immediately inside the guest room and began to snore. He figured that he was more exhausted than he let on since he managed to sleep a whole day away without eating, thus his understandable hunger once he woke up. Despite her internal debate on how much she should feed him, Reimu was more than nice enough to provide with a bowl of rice or two along with some tea.

Once he was done eating, Rook returned to the guest room to find two 'conveniently' placed new clothes folded for him in a neat stack. Apparently the things brought to him were nothing more than a new brown coat and black shirt. He figured he could get a change of pants once he returned to Mayohiga after he set up his appointments.

So there he was, walking within the path leading from the Hakurei Shrine and into the far end of the woods where the Human Village. The trip itself was uneventful save for a couple amateur fairy ambushes with the little cannon fodders actually daring to go near him. Being the stoic person he was, Rook allowed them to grab his coat before enveloping his body with electricity. The blackened remains of the fairies lay far behind him as they started to regenerate.

Twigs snapped and dead leaves cracked under his feet as he passed by, pushing shrubs and bushes out of his way as he made through the forest. Sometimes he would see the occasional Youkai going about their business when they were not attacking humans. He even managed to catch one of them playing tag with a group of imps and fairies. A few times he stopped some rather young Youkai from eating a glowing mushroom, grounding one when it was about to throw him a face full of danmaku.

Gensokyo was a surreal magical land filled with all sorts of fantastic creatures and exotic flora. The fauna or animals were no different, dodo birds actually there, but that was already common knowledge. It would be a sight to see if the Outside World were to discover this paradise. Rook always wondered how they would react. Would they be fascinated? Afraid? Amazed? Repulsed? In Awe? Or Disgusted? A world of monsters right under their noses and they didn't even know about it.

"Hmm, must've taken a wrong turn," muttered Rook as he came across a familiar looking antique shop. He gazed at the open window for a second before saying, "I wonder if anyone's home. Maybe I'll grab a pair of pants while I'm in there…" He approached the door and pushed it open, causing the bell above it to ring a jingling sound.

Rook crashed into his left at the distinct sound of a weapon being pumped. This proved to be a wise choice since a blasting noise roared across the area where he had just been a few seconds ago.

"Damn, I missed," grumbled a male voice from within the shop.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?!" yelled Rook, but was met with the point of a black umbrella… With a hole in it.

Another pumping sound was heard as Rinnosuke placed the tip of the umbrella between Rook's eyes while said human felt a shotgun shell roll near his foot, "This is an interesting tool, no? Practical and useful too."

"Rin', put the shotgun umbrella down," requested the Human with his arms raised in defense, staring at the hidden barrel warily, "Put the gun down and we'll settle things."

"Hmph, after the little charade you did the last time you were here I'm afraid that I'll have to be more careful around my customers," the shopkeeper brought his chin on his umbrella as he took aim, "Now give me a good reason why I shouldn't take a leaf out of Marisa's book and blow your head off right here and then."

"You'll be losing your only chance to get your shop advertised around Gensokyo," replied Rook with his eyes still at the gun point, "Besides you're a civilized, sophisticated man. You wouldn't do something barbaric and savage like this or else you'll never get the chance to get customers if you keep scaring them away. And I also think that you'll have to reload if this shot misses."

The gray haired half-Youkai held his shotgun umbrella for a few seconds before he relented and put it aside. The deceiver had a point; Rook was never the kind of person to be hit by something dangerous at point blank range. He could just easily do something that'll make the shot miss. Rinnosuke wasn't going to take his chances with a veteran fighter like the one in front of him.

Still, he raised an eyebrow as he saw genuine relief spread across Rook's features. Maybe he wasn't in the mood to fight.

"Now that the reunion's been through, what the do you want?" Rinnosuke said in a cold tone as he retreated behind his counter and open a pocket book, "Come to take things for free again?"

The Human took a moment to rummage through his belt bag before fishing out a small brown pouch and jingling it under the shopkeeper's nose. He let out a triumphant smirk as the half-Youkai released a tired sigh of annoyance. Rinnosuke gestured Rook to enter the shop, the latter following suit. Over the past five years, the only notable changes in Kourindou were the increased junk and thingamabobs piled carelessly into corners and shelves. Computer units and plasma screens with broken LCD's were hung on the walls at the east section while a number of shelves and baskets housed various gaming consoles and car engines.

The air had a metallic and crude oil like scent in it. What surprised Rook as he looked around were the working ceiling fan above him and the active heaters whirring on a corner. How the Unmoving Goods Seller managed to connect a power source into Gensokyo for his fan was puzzling, seeing that it wasn't there a few years ago. Still in all its strangeness, the Human decided to shrug it off.

Rinnosuke went behind the counter and placed his head on his palm while Rook was left standing in front of him.

"I love what you've done with the place," complimented the blonde while looking around, "Pretty retro if you get what I'm saying."

The shopkeeper let out a snort at the praise, apparently not buying it. "Yes, yes I still haven't cleaned up since the last time you were here. No need to sugarcoat… I suppose you're here to actually _purchase_ something without having to run off like a fugitive."

"Hmm, if I remember correctly, I did pay you," replied Rook in a thoughtful tone.

"The gun is still in the holster, dear customer," Rinnosuke icily responded along with a glare.

Rook glanced at his hip and found said tranquilizer gun on it. Playing dumb he muttered a quick 'oops' before recomposing himself, "Well now…"

"Just tell me what you need so you can get going," sighed the shopkeeper, taking off his glasses and cleaning it.

"Right, right. Geez, what's with the attitude? You know, I've probably said this lots of times before but you'll never get customers that way," said Rook with a shrug, "Anyhow, do you have some spare pants? The ones I'm in now don't look that presentable."

"I see, the clothes rack is just at the back. Just remember to pay for once," were Rinnosuke's only words before Rook dug deeper into the store. Soon enough he found an old brown wardrobe decorated with lion heads and a single tree engraved in the middle. He wrenched the door open and started rummaging through the hanged coats and dresses. Letting a smile of satisfaction, he managed to snag a pair of trousers. Grabbing his loot, he immediately made his way to the fitting room next a few paces away and tried out his pants.

A few moments later, Rinnosuke looked up to his customer and found a small pouch of coins on his counter.

"Thank you for your patronage," mumbled the clerk with heavy lidded eyes.

"Alright, time to go!" piped Rook, making his merry way to the door when—

"Hold it."

"Yes?" he asked with a bright smile, in contrast Rinnosuke's cold indifference.

"We need to talk," said the shopkeeper in a grudging tone.

"Hrrm, what about?" said the Human with the same smile while crossing his arms.

"About a certain black-white."

"Ahhh…"

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**10:48 Anti-meridian**

**Between the Forest and the Humans, Wonderful Shop of Antique Goods; Kourindou, Gensokyo**

* * *

"Feels like Deja vu."

"Would you please pay attention?"

Rook leaned against the wall with his arms still crossed, however his expression was the complete opposite of what he had a few minutes ago. Right now his visage bore the expression of seriousness with his eyes cold as steel and calculating, the earlier faint scent of metal now more distinct. The two men lay quiet within the deserted shop while the light bulb above flickered on and off at random intervals.

"Right, so if I've heard correctly, Marisa's making a comeback now to get into Reimu's good books, what's so wrong with that?" he asked with a trace of irritation in his tone, "Seriously, I don't see how that's my problem. Shouldn't we be happy because of that?"

"You don't get it do you?" grumbled Rinnosuke in an equally frustrated tone, "Take the dagger out and put it on the counter."

"Dagger? What dagger? I don't see any dagger," said Rook, playing innocent while glancing around.

A dangerous light flashed across the usually stoic shopkeeper's eyes which caused the Human to sigh in defeat. He reached within his coat and drew a sheathed silver dagger with an elegant handle. Carefully placing it on the counter, Rook watched the clerk adjust his glasses and examine the dagger for a few moments.

"How did you know? About that I mean," Rook questioned, pointing at the inanimate weapon.

"I have an eye for stupidly powerful artifacts winding up from the barrier," the shopkeeper replied nonchalantly as he continued to inspect the dagger before straightening himself and looking at Rook dead in the eye, "Besides, Yukari felt like that I needed to know a bit more after you left."

"Right… So why is it all a big deal anyway? It's just Marisa," argued the Human in a firm tone.

"Really now? 'Just Marisa'? Do you have any idea what she is right now?" Rinnosuke angrily growled, "Alright, I understand that you're tougher than you look, but you really need to think about a few things before you go prancing around with _her_ out there. Rook, she never forgot about what you did. She never forgave you for turning Mima into… That."

Rook gave the dagger the stink eye yet remained silent.

"I won't even bother telling you off like this if you had your powers before Mima's sealing, however since you had your strength and abilities drained, you're very vulnerable to Marisa's homicidal tendencies."

"She's a murderer now?" scoffed Rook.

"She doesn't show it, but her fairy killing sprees are more than enough to be evidence," replied Rinnosuke.

The blonde pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache began to gnaw off his patience, "So just because she can kill off mobs of fairies, she's confident that she can kill me off with a Master Spark? Naïve and stupid, Morichika, you know she's better than this, right?"

"Marisa hasn't been the same since that night," said the shopkeeper with a heavy sigh, "Sometimes I wonder if it's the mushrooms she's been gathering or she's just… bordering to insanity. It's a theory, but that doesn't make her less dangerous. It's a good sign that she's opening up to Reimu again, but with you being active once more, the two of you meeting at the Shrine or somewhere else would be inevitable. Rook, you worked with her countless of times and you know that she's doesn't stop at nothing to reach her goal. Right now, her goal is more or less to hunt you down now that you're back, flip the right switch and she'll tear everything within her path just to get you."

Rook pondered the clerk's words for a moment before saying, "Well… I guess they're at that age…"

"And that's all you're going to say?"

"Stop that, you sound like Reimu," griped the Human, "It doesn't matter. If that's what Marisa wants, then all I have to do is stay alive while she turns the place around her into a warzone. Whether she likes it or not, she has to accept things and move on. Call me a hypocrite for saying that, but I don't care. Some things are just beyond saving."

"So you're telling me she's beyond saving?" Rinnosuke hissed coldly.

"I never said that," replied Rook in his casual manner, "I'm just saying that there's still a chance to bring the girl back without leaving her to be like the crazy cop girl. We wouldn't want a Mad Witch with the power of leveling the landscape running around, don't we? Besides, Reimu's going to back me up. If anyone's going to put a leash on the Witch, it's going to be her."

"I….suppose you're right," relented the clerk, slumping back in his chair. He looked up and added, "I assume that you haven't spoken to Old man Kirisame yet?"

"I told you I'll pay him a visit if I had time," Rook smirked knowingly as he added; "I'll add the girl's predicament to my To Do List. See if I can make her calm like… I'll also try not to get killed, no need to worry about hurting her either, I think you wouldn't like that one bit."

"Shut up."

"Hmph, Marisa's a talented young woman with the potential every sorcerer could dream of. Would hate it if it would all go to waste."

Rinnosuke said nothing and proceeded to hand the dagger back to Rook. The shopkeeper watched the Human leave with a careless wave before closing the door. With a tired sigh, he pulled out a book from his drawer and began to read. Unbeknownst to him, Rook snatched the pouch off his counter when he wasn't looking.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes:_

_I'm starting to think that Rook has a twisted sense of humor. Hey there~ How you all doing? Time to put a few things up to speed. A quick update of what happened to me in IRL which kept me from writing._

_So we had a play entitled "Story of Evil". Not my suggestion, but my classmates'. Anyway you're all probably familiar with that one song from Vocaloid? Yeah, this play is a summarization of the story of that series. I was the Director and I had to make sure my actors are all prepared and ready. However due to lack of motivation, whining, stubbornness adolescent problems, more whining, schoolwork, and the usual uncooperativeness of our little team._

_Long story short, it all went to hell. Predictably enough. So on the day of the performance, everyone was panicking since they were lacking a hell lot of things. That's when I decided to beat it. I decided to help out a bit but when things went too far, I left. Ungrateful bastards._

_Unto the chapter, this feels more like a breather. Since all we had the past few chapters were mammoth packages of action, torture, combat, and revelations. Here I'm going to experiment with things Rook won't be able to blast out of._

_I took the liberty on Genji's personality and way of speech. Mostly inspired by a certain author mentioned at the very beginning of this story. _

_Welp, there are a few references scattered about. Can you find them all?_

_That's all for now, thanks for reading! Make sure to review and share your thoughts on your way out. Please be polite at all times, I'll be happy to receive help from you guys._

_Yahoo~_


	24. Chapter 16: Loose Ends

_Nicolas Notes: Obligatory first chapter, LAUNCH! ALL HAIL PURPLE HEART. Woops, wrong fandom, ehehe._

* * *

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* * *

**CHAPTER 17: Loose Ends.**

**Year: 2005**

**12:57 Anti-meridian**

**Mayohiga, Outskirts, Gensokyo**

* * *

To say that the walk to Mayohiga was uneventful would be a bold faced lie. Nothing beats starting your afternoon by getting chased by a rabid youkai.

"I don't have time for this!"

Rook burst through the clump of bushes and landed in a roll. He fired off a couple of lightning bullets at whatever was chasing him before breaking into a run. An unearthly shriek sounded behind him, followed by the appearance of a partly burnt, furiously barrelling, and gut wrenchingly stinky bat youkai. It crawled on its uneven legs, leathery wings flapping behind it while most of its dull colored clothing was still smoking.

The Human fired off a couple of lightning bullets behind him in hope to lose his hunter, however such strategy refused to work for the last twenty minutes. He started focusing more energy into his bullets however doing so was causing him to falter in his steps, a thing which would prove fatal for him. Right now, he decided to only release minute type bullets to slow down his hunter. This tactic only made the youkai angrier than causing it to give up. Not to mention he just blew a hole in its now bleeding wing.

The only reason why the youkai wasn't flying, was that the forest was densely populated by trees with thorns the size of a human finger. It wasn't taking chances on losing its prey here. Not after what Rook did to it.

_And here I was thinking it was going to be a good stretch for my legs with a peaceful walk and all of a sudden this bastard comes out of nowhere trying to bite my head off, _he thoughts as he athletically leapt over fallen logs, splashing water as he landed on a creek. He made a random turn to his right, looking back for a fraction of a second just to see the bat youkai shrieking bloody murder. He gulped as he kept running downstream.

_**Karma's a bitch, ain't it?**_ Chuckled a woman's voice in his head.

_SHUT UP, AND IT'S ONLY NOW YOU CHOSE TO TALK! _Rook mentally roared, sprinting faster as he felt the air behind him tickle his neck. Something told him he almost got his head chopped off.

_**Mhmm, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't take your money back from Kourin.**_

_OH DON'T YOU FREAKING MAKE THIS ABOUT ME! Wait, you're saying Rinnosuke sent this bastard?!_

_**It's a theory. Maybe he has an antique that could control things. Try opening your mind a bit, anything's possible.**_

_You're not helping!_

Rook planted his right foot in front of him and in one quick motion, spun around with a hand crackling with power, shooting the youkai square on the chest. The monster was blown off its feet, falling flat on its back while sporting a large burn on its chest. The Human sighed in relief and went to give the youkai a light kick to see if it was unconscious. Unfortunately it wasn't, sitting back up to claw at Rook's face. Fortunately for him, he managed to jump back the last minute.

The beast lunged again, leaving claw marks on a tree's bark as it slashed.

The water made the Human's shoes moist, making him uncomfortable. Dodging another strike, an idea was born. Sidestepping a clumsy tackle from the bat youkai, Rook quickly got out of the stream. He pelted the youkai's skin with more sparks and electric bullets, drawing its attention towards him. Predictably enough, it charged towards him, splashing water everywhere.

_**Cheater.**_

Ignoring Mima's words, Rook smirked as the youkai was just seven feet away from him before shooting the clear water with electricity. The monster stopped in its tracks and became rigid, just before electricity began to climb all over its body did it begin to convulse. A low hiss of pain escaped it before it fell on the electrified waters, dead.

"Hehehe, you like that, huh? Just remember to come back for seconds," Rook grabbed the dead body by its arms and pulled it away from the water.

_**Why are you even touching that disgusting thing...**_

"Couldn't just leave a dead body on fresh water, can't I?" replied the Human out loud, "Don't want anyone catching a disease or something the other..."

_**How noble of you...Sad that your gauge won't go up since this is part of the plot.**_

"My what won't go up, now?" he asked in confusion, "What nonsense are you spouting out now? And what do you mean plot?"

Rook blinked a couple of times as Mima failed to respond. He decided to let the topic drop and be on his way. The chase with the youkai caused him to get sidetracked, causing him to take a few minutes longerto reach Mayohiga's edge. Dead leaves crunched under his foot while he was careful not to come near the trees to avoid getting pricked by the thorns. A few exotic plant life managed to enter the border once they went extinct decades ago. Rook tried asking Yukari if everything that was lost in the Outside could be found in Gensokyo.

Much to his chagrin, she only answered him if he saw any dinosaurs walking around. From there he concluded that the Barrier only accepted things that disappear in the present, not the things that were long forgotten in the past. Explains the Dodo bird he cooked fifty years back.

After passing by another peaceful grove, Rook finally came to a halt before a blur in the landscape. The path before him was there, however it seemed like it was part of a faulty image or corrupted picture one would get in the outside world. It was moving like that of a mirage, so it was obvious from there that the 'thing' in front of him was an illusion.

"Home sweet home..." he muttered as he walked ahead. The moment he entered the illusion, he was greeted by a surreal landscape.

The sky was covered by a veil of crimson clouds, much like the Scarlet Mists, only that they were in the sky. The ground had a maroon like color and looked sticky if one were to attempt to step on it. Houses left and right were made out of cookies and had candy canes for mailboxes. A face made out of icing seemed to be melting, forming an expression of despair as it slowly crawled down the chocolate walls.

There was no sun, and the whole place looked completely deserted. Not to mention that there were these eerie corpse like hands stretching from the floor and into the heavens, like they were hanging from the grounds. There were numerous of them sprouting everywhere, on the floor, the roofs, and freaking candy canes. There was an abandoned looking Ferris Wheel at the distance, and to make matters worse, a carnival themed music played at the background accompanied by scratching noises, like claws being dragged through a chalk board.

Rook grunted in pain as a headache came out of nowhere, causing him to grab his face and fall on one knee. He clasped his hands on his head in an attempt to lessen the pain. Not only that it wasn't working, he was starting to see things. It was like seeing the vision of a deranged carnival worker. Balloons with a wide smile and eyes that seem to pierce through a human's soul, circus freaks walking the streets of the candy alley, licking lollipops with their barbed tongues.

_**Rook. They're not real. Whatever is happening, they're not real.**_

_I know, I know. With this stupid headache I can't focus, _he mentally responded, _Can't have enough willpower to dispel the illusion..._

He tried again to force his will on the village, only to make matters worse. Now he was seeing a certain blonde girl dressed in scarlet, sitting on top a chair made out of what looked like human skin. Rook resisted the urge to be sick. She was a good distance away, but he knew he heard her.

"_Waiting... For you~"_

Rook closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

Once he opened them, he was in the abandoned village of Mayohiga. Releasing a shaky breath, he slowly rose to his feet while trying to regain his balance. He just realized that his hands were trembling so he immediately clenched them into fists. Without further ado, he began his trek into the heart of the village.

_**So...What was that about? Quite an illusion that was... Must've been an Arch-ranked spell if a Magician did it... Or was that all in our head? Projected to become reality, thus transforming the landscape? Certainly interesting thought, no? Now if I only had my notebook.**_

_I...don't know. Certainly not the first time I've experience this, but that was... Way too vivid. Last time something like that happened was five years ago. It's just as screwed up as last time._

_**Hmm, Rook, what is it that you fear?**_

_... What are you getting at?_

_**There are rumours in the past that this village is actually a youkai village. However there is no substantial proof to prove this. However if that were the case, then in theory, this village projects one's inner most fears and uses it against potential intruders as a security system. Reason why most humans and youkais go mad if they set foot in this place. Occasional victims would be greedy treasure hunter, correct?**_

_Yeah, but like you said, there isn't any proof that this village turned into a youkai. Now even by Gensokyo standards, that's crazy. I've lived here more for two centuries on and off. There aren't any signs that indicate that this place is actually a big sleeping youkai like thingy... I just figured that it's just... well... you know...Magic._

_**Or it could be the Yakumos' doing. We're in the Border, you know? The Boundaries here are thin, very so... **_

_Heh, forgot you haven't been to this place. Probably the reason why you're making theories out of nowhere._

_**It's simply my nature as magician.**_

_Right..._

The Human came to a halt at the foot of the village statue and looked around. The golden eye that lit up the village remained unblinking and focused its ever alert gaze down upon the village, overseeing the lone man walking along its streets. He gazed intently at the deserted alleyways and abandoned houses before cupping his hands over his mouth and calling in a loud voice.

"Yukari! It's me, Rook! Show yourself!"

The village remained silent as ever; apparently the person he was calling for didn't seemed to be interested to come out.

"Come out here or I swear I'll blow your statue apart!" he added loudly, aiming a crackling hand at the Yukari statue behind him.

That did it. A horizontal rip came into existence with a small 'pop' before spreading apart like the maw of some hideous creature. There were two red ribbons tied on each end of the gap, though it didn't reduce the effect the toxic looking smoke that seeped through the portal. A moment later a pale white hand akin to that of a person's who might have drowned grabbed the edge of the gap for support. A deep growling noise could be heard from within the void.

Rook allowed energy to course within his fist in case of something bad happening, though he knew this was just Yukari's way of making a grand entrance. Although, he had to admit, this spectacle was considered eerie. He waited for a few more seconds before relaxing his body.

_**She sure is taking her sweet time to come out, no? Maybe her body's become so fat that—**_

A door slammed open and Yukari Yakumo strolled into the village square with parasol over her shoulder.

_**DID SHE JUST COME OUT OF THE GOD DAMNED DOOR?!**_

Rook ignored Mima's disbelief and protests as he clawed his hand down his face. It didn't help that he was seeing the Elder Youkai's mischievous grin, he hated that grin. Every time he saw that grin something bad was going to happen…. Or she was just poking him for fun.

"Hello dear Chess Piece, it's been so long!" she pleasantly greeted with the same grin plastered on her face, "Is there anything that I might assist you in?"

"Yeah, you could start by answering a few questions," replied Rook, crossing his arms while wearing a scowl, "Where were you and why didn't you do anything to disable that barrier at the Mansion? We could've died for all you knew."

"Hmph, my…. and not even a 'Oh Yukari, how I've missed you my love' before you start interrogating a fine lady such as myself? How rude…" mused the Gap Youkai with a slight tilt of her head. Her smile only grew brighter as she greeted again, "Why hello there Mima~ How are you?"

_**By the gods if I had arms, I would be strangling you right now, Yakumo. **_

"Yukari…. Stop antagonizing her, you're not helping…" said Rook staring daggers at the woman in purple.

"But I was only asking her on how she was? So what, can't I even greet an old friend anymore?" Yukari then closed her parasol and crossed her arms in a pout, "Rook's mean… Bleh, I hope you go bald."

"Answer the question, Where. Were. You?" said the Human, putting emphasis on the last three words before aiming for the statue again.

Yukari's shoulder slumped and with a sigh she then began saying, "Weren't you listening to the highly abbreviated explanation your anaemic nemesis while you were in her library? No? Figures that you have a short attention span considering how restless electricity is. Fine. In case you've missed it, the girl was clever making use of her five years to counter my gaps and boundary powers even in a short period of time. I must say that forbidding me from the use of my abilities for six whole hours was quite a feat."

"Yeah, I get that, but I guess I was right that you were somehow watching my every move. If you couldn't use your powers, then how come you knew what was happening there? Or about conversation we had?"

"Rook, if you keep walking around asking stupid questions, sooner or later you're going to get yourself killed~" sang Yukari in a mocking tone.

_**You know that he just asked a fair question. Both of us know that you can tear down the Hakurei Barrier if you put your mind to it, so why couldn't you break out of a measly second class binding hex? Even I made an attempt to bind you with spells higher than the crap that the bean sprout set upon you yet you still managed to flick them all away. **_

"But that's just it, Miss Talking Dagger. I _didn't _put my mind into it since I _knew_ what the outcome was going to be. Besides if I did intervene with the battle that took place in that mansion, then where's the fun to that? Why would I, Yukari Yakumo, will have such a golden opportunity for entertainment go to waste? Rook, don't you have any faith in yourself that you'll survive the night safely?" Yukari kicked off the ground and sat on a conveniently place gap while looking like she was suppressing a giggle.

"You. Are. Twisted," spat out Rook in displeasure, "Oh I don't suppose that you've managed to calculate the results on what happened that night? Not to mention me being skewered by more than a dozen of spear heads while getting cursed and having my fate tampered with."

"Oooh, ooh!" squealed the Gap Youkai, "I simply loved that part! Seriously, you should've seen the look on your face."

"Yukari," growled the Human, the air adapting the metallic smell of ozone.

"Fine. Tell me Rook, if I had intervened your losing battle with Patchouli Knowledge, would you ever had gained the ability to converse with Mima right now? I think not," she then placed her parasol inside the gap she was sitting on where it promptly disappeared, "Explain to me that if I broke the barrier surrounding the mansion, would your little Youkai friend back then have met with a certain person that would've been crucial to future events? Surely things would've turned out worse. Also, what would've happened that if I did help you, Reimu and Marisa wouldn't have the courage to make an attempt to speak with each other right now, hm?"

Yukari's eyes turned golden for a moment before saying in a low dangerous tone, "How… Would you be able to speak to that little vampire without showing her that you were actually sincere in helping her and her sister? To win back their trust by proving yourself? Tell me that if I had assisted you during that time, would she be impressed that you thwarted her by using a powerful ally such as I? I think not. She would deem you as a coward and would only hate you more because of that… She would designate you as a liar and a cheater."

"If you hadn't done everything as you did during that night," the Gap Youkai's face broke into a smile, "Then you would be rotting inside a closet in that mansion."

… _**Well played, Yakumo… Well played…**_

"Thank you, Mima~" said Yukari with a grateful smile.

"Well… I did ask her to calculate, but I never expected it to be that deep," Rook shook his head as he turned his gaze back at the Border of Phantasm, "Alright, but what did you mean about Rumia speaking with another person? There wasn't anyone with her."

"Think back Rook... I would explain to you in detail, however I must digress since we're straying far from the topic," Yukari drew out her fan and began to cool herself, "Then again, you did a good job that night. Not only did you resolve the incident with only losing a couple litres of blood and a dejected Reimu, but you also managed to give two bickering friends a chance for reconciliation. Congratulations! You've just opened to a number of windows filled with numerous possibilities."

"I don't think I like the sound of that," commented Rook.

_**No one ever does. **_

"Hmm, something tells me that you didn't call me here just so you can reprimand me falsely about not helping you save your skin," said Yukari in a mock thoughtful tone, "Come now Rook, speak your mind. I won't bite, hehehe, much…"

"Right, I was going to ask if there has been anything strange going on around Gensokyo. You know, any strange anomalies or happening I should be aware of?" he questioned bluntly, "Wouldn't want to find myself stuck in something I shouldn't be part of."

"I swear you're getting paranoid…" commented the Gap Youkai.

_**I suggest laying it off a bit on him. I think you traumatised him with your games, Yakumo.**_

"I'll put it to consideration," replied Yukari while rubbing her chin, "As to your question, no. Nothing major other than the now resolved Scarlet Mist. The fairies are once again calming down and the Youkai have all gone back to their hidey holes so there won't be much game for you to exterminate should you decided to. However these past few weeks there's been rumours of the vampires at the western mountain ranges and the bat youkais of the Forest of Magic meeting. Probably just a brief discussion about arranged marriages. "

"What about Makai?" Rook abruptly asked, cutting the Elder Youkai off her summarization.

She paused for a moment, thinking up her words carefully before saying, "Sealed as it should be. Nothing's going in or out unless Shinki asks for my permission and vice versa. Is something wrong, Rook?"

The Queen of Hearts card inside his pouch suddenly felt a bit heavier. He managed to keep himself composed and his poker face on as he replied, "It's nothing. Just making sure of things."

_I wonder… I almost forgot about her for a second there…_

Thankfully, Mima didn't seemed to be interested in voicing out his thoughts with her own seeing as Yukari could hear her well.

"I…see," muttered Yukari with a nod. Though she doesn't seem like she was convinced with his reply.

"Right, so one more thing. Have you heard anything about Marisa?" asked the Human.

This time, a flash of annoyance appeared upon the Border Youkai's appearance, "What am I now, a one stop information center? A receptionist to fill you in with the Intel you need?"

"Yes," deadpanned Rook in a serious tone.

"I refuse to be a plot device!" protested Yukari while childishly flailing her arms in the air. After a few seconds of this charade, she finally recomposed herself and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Fine. I should've expected it after you spoke to both Reimu and Rinnosuke this morning."

"You were spying again?" said Rook with an eyebrow raised.

"I like keeping tabs on that dagger you have," explained the Gap Youkai, "Anyhow, I'm probably just repeating what Rinnosuke told you, but Marisa has become unstable. No, not as unstable as the girl you're trying to save, but she has been a wee bit different. Cuckoo if you ask me. She spends most of her time as always deep within the Forest of Magic, experimenting with potion making and Alchemy. However due to the lack of funds she has to continue her research, I must say that her kleptomania has reach just over tolerable levels. Though it's not like she's not capable of protecting herself, but if she keeps this up she'll probably get herself killed."

"Noted, anymore?" the Human nodded as he carefully studied Yukari's expression.

"Yes," answered Yukari, "Mima, since you're her mentor, I doubt you didn't know that it was inevitable for her to dabble in the Abysmal Arcane, no?"

_**Let me guess, she managed to secure a copy of one of my old Grimoires?**_

"Indeed. And with that she's now capable of copying spellcards and modifying them as she desires," the Border of Phantasm replied, "No news of this has reached Reimu yet, however if things get out of hands then it is possible for the two to engage in combat. This I speculate by using the two idiots' personalities as a base."

"But you said that they have a chance for reconciliation," pointed out Rook.

"Of course, however if Reimu were to find out and Marisa is not stopped then chances are things are going to get messy," Yukari's face began to darken, "And I don't like Gensokyo being messy. I presume that you're going to do something about it, Rook?"

"As soon as possible," he said with one firm nod. The Gap Youkai seemed satisfied with this.

"I think that's all for now, no? If you want to know more, she's currently at the same place as I mentioned earlier," she suggested calmly while spreading her paper fan before her face, "Better brace yourselves, the coming winter should be interesting. Would hate to see you dead by that time."

"I'll make sure to stay alive. I'll be all diplomatic, unless she decides to spark me the moment I talk to her, which is not impossible," chuckled Rook, placing a hand in his pocket.

Yukari allowed herself a genuine smile before opening a gap above him where a black box promptly fell.

"Your supplies are in there. Arm yourself so you can save energy, I doubt electrocuting her will allow any space for peaceful talk," she explained, pausing for a few moments as the Human gathered his supplies. Once he was ready she then said, "I'll be dropping you at the Human village, I'm guessing you have one more person to talk to before you head out. Good bye Rook, Mima~"

With that a rip between realities swallowed Rook whole. He fell into the void, gazing for second at the thousands of golden eyes that seemed to stare back. And then he fell into a dirt path hard.

* * *

**{Saving game}**

**{Game saved, data board update}**

**{Good Gauge: 0, Evil Circuit: 2, Brutality Core: 1}**

**{Spellcards: 2, Unknown: 1}**

**{Power unlocked: 8%}**

**{Loading next Checkpoint, please wait warmly.}**

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**1:29 Post-meridian**

**Human Village, Main Street, Gensokyo**

* * *

Gensokyo was strange place, though it wasn't strange enough for people to suddenly fall from the open sky without explanation. A group of onlookers gathered around him, curious to see if he was okay or not. Others simply watched him warily at the distance while a few went to call the guards for assistance. It didn't make any difference to Rook since he was still busy mastering the impact from falling.

He slowly got up, breathing hard and a bit annoyed as he dusted his coat and pants. He looked around to the people around him, blinking in confusion. The Human sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and with a nervous smile he said, "Um, nothing to see here. Just slipped myself. Come on now everyone, shoo shoo he he..."

Unfortunately for him the guards chose that exact same moment to appear, and judging by their hostile intent, they weren't ones who were familiar with him.

_New recruits... _he thought to himself as the soldier surrounded him, _katana _and _nodachi_ swords held aloft.

"Who are you and state your business here, youkai?" one ordered, inching dangerously close. A few of the elder villagers were both looking at the group that surrounded Rook with amusement and worry. They clearly don't know who they were dealing with.

_**A youkai? My, my, any self respecting youkai would take offence in that. He he he, crossroads time~ **_ chuckled Mima as Rook contemplated a way out of this situation.

_Quiet, already thought of something, _Rook replied internally as he approached the guard who spoke to him. "Hey there, lovely day we're having?"

On impulse, the guard attacked as if the Human threw the first punch. Eyes flashing, he sidestepped his opponent's clumsy lunge and slid his palm on the blunt side of the _katana_. Grabbing the blade, he launched his elbow on the young man's chest and yanked the sword blade first. Rook raised the sword above to defend himself from the other guard's strike, promptly kicking him away. He swung the blade with to his left which collided with another sword.

A small smile of pity appeared on his face before he locked the bewildered guard's sword by the hilt. In one fluid motion he twisted his wrist and knocked the other sword off his adversary's hands.

"En guard" he challenged, before spinning around with the _katana_ flying low. Rook managed to send his incoming enemy off balance, causing said guard to fall flat on his back. This of course was performed with the blunt side of the sword. He stabbed the sword on the guard's clothes, leaving him struggling on the ground. Rook turned to the recovering guards and the amazed onlookers and gave them a brief bow.

"That, ladies and gentlemen, is entertainment," he yelled, causing a few people to clap their hands while others ran their palm on their faces or shook their heads in defeat.

**{Evil Circuit Increased}**

"What do you think you're doing?" snapped a voice behind him and the next thing he knew was his head was throbbing in pain. Apparently someone just hit him with a blunt object. Rook blinked for several moments just to see Keine helping up the stuck guard. After she was finished checking the young man for injuries, she sent him and his comrades off before turning to Rook with an angry expression. "You could've killed them! Do you have any idea what they'll think of you once they get older? No one holds a grudge better than these people, you should know that!"

Rook seemed a bit taken aback by the teacher's reaction and replied jokingly, "Hey, this happens every decade. Someone has to show them the ropes."

"You idiotic, battle freak of a moron! What do you think you would've gained by antagonizing them?" Keine said hotly with her teeth gritted.

"Okay, I'm sorry," answered Rook, though in his mind he really didn't feel that way, "Anyhow, where you headed? Seems a bit early to start the school right after an incident."

"I was just on my way to... a friend's place when I witness what I would believe was the most one sided brawl I've ever seen," deadpanned the were-hakutaku.

The Human's smile widened, "So, what's the situation here? People seem to be livelier than that of late."

A sigh escaped Keine's lips as she said, "Everything's cooling down. The people are getting out more, though no one's still allowed to leave the village without an armed escort or two. Even if the Mist is gone now, the alert hasn't been called off. We can't be too careful these days."

"Wise choice then," muttered Rook.

"Right. You know you should visit the Elders at the town hall sometime. They may need your advice regarding a few things," said Keine "Thanks by the way. For taking care of the incident. We're already working on something to offer to the Hakurei Shrine. If you don't mind, you can deliver it once we're done."

"I'll take note of that once I'm free," replied the Human, "Say, is old man Kirisame around?"

The teacher seemed to be surprised about that yet maintained her composure, "Oh. Not too many people ask about him. He should be at his shop. You do remember where it is, right?"

Rook gave her a nervous smile and a brief shake of the head, causing her to release another heavy sigh.

"Walk down the southern entrance, turn right and then take the third building," she explained while motioning to the directions.

"Thanks," replied Rook with an acknowledging nod. Keine waved him goodbye before walking off, her silver hair dancing behind her.

_**Stop staring at her—**_

_Shut up..._

* * *

**Year: 2005**

**2:00 Post-meridian**

**Human Village, Kirisame Second-hand Shop, Gensokyo**

* * *

A bell rang from within the shop, giving off a De javu vibe in the air. Unlike Kourindou, the Kirisame shop was more organized and cleaner. The scent of wood dominated the atmosphere, causing Rook to cover his nose since it came too strong.

"Hello? Anyone there?" he called into the deserted looking shop. It was filled with knick knacks and other used tools, clippers sat on the shelves while shears were propped up the wall. An organized group of kettles rested themselves near the door while the main area was filled with furniture and wooden dining tables complete with chairs. Light entered through the windows, causing specks of dusts to be visible as they floated.

Fanning the air in front of him, Rook stepped further into the shop, examining the items that stood behind glass casings. He wiped the glass' surface to observe a snow globe within. It was fascinating how an object which looked like it was made fifty years in the past could be in such a pristine condition. Looking around, the same could be said for the rest of the shop.

"Kirisame, come out now. I know you're in here," Rook called once more.

_**Why don't you just blow this place apart like what you did with Yukari?**_ Muttered Mima's voice in a dark undertone.

_Hooh, you still mad after what Kirisame did to his daughter?_ Replied Rook internally as he continued to search the store. _It's not my place to intrude into other people's business, so I won't stick my head in. Say, can you do anything do find him?_

_**No. I can't do nothing outside this dagger, remember? Look for him yourself; tell me once you're done.**_

_Wait, Mima!_ He sighed as he found out it was no use. Rook decided to continue his search when he felt an ominous aura behind him. Before he can even turn around, a hand already had its iron grip on his shoulder. On instinct, he grabbed the offender's wrist with blinding speed and sent a surge of electricity. He was surprised as he saw that his attacker hasn't shrivelled up into a crisp yet.

"You..." he growled as he let go of the hand of Marisa's father. "You could've gotten yourself killed."

The tall man jet black hair in contrast to his daughter's dirty blonde, though his eyes were bright gold while bearing the same confident air as Marisa. A smirk was plastered on his face as he removed his goggles and rubber gloves. This was a man of confidence and purpose. It's a surprise that he would stop and open a shop instead leading a life as something more worthwhile.

Still that wasn't Rook's problem.

"Rook, good to see you!" greeted Mr. Kirisame with a light pat. His muscular body went well with his height along with his black overalls. The man wore a sleeveless tunic that showed off his arms while sporting an olive colored trousers and brown boots.

"How long has it been?" he continued, "Eight years since you dropped by, what you are up to these days?"

Rook rubbed the back of his neck as he replied, "Not much. Taking care of a couple of loose ends here and there, you know the usual."

"Mhm," hummed Mr. Kirisame with a slow nod, "Well, what can I do for you today, good sir? Been a long time since we spoke, eh?"

"_Right, I don't suppose you've forgotten about this language after all this time?_" mused Rook with a small smile. Mr. Kirisame raised an eyebrow as the Human switched his speech.

"_Indeed. Well, pardon me if my English is rusty. Haven't gotten the time to practice it's use,_" replied the shopkeeper with a bow.

"_Good. Gensokyan Japanese kind of gets too you if used for a long time," _said the blonde while crossing his arms, "_Look, I'm afraid that I'm going to make this visit short so I'll go straight to the point."_

"_Really now?_" responded Mr. Kirisame, perplexed at the man before him, "_Alright then. Speak your mind."_

Inhaling a lungful of air, Rook began, "_It's about your daughter. Marisa."_

The shopkeeper's eyebrows raised at the mention of his daughter while his back immediately tensed. In a low, firm voice he asked, "_What is it? Did something happen to her?"_

"_No harm has befallen her, at least not yet. Kirisame, I don't know anything else to phrase this but; I need your permission for me to stop her," _said Rook, his eyes resting upon the taller man's own.

"_Stop her? Is she doing anything dangerous?"_ he asked, almost in a cold growl. Now this was the hard part. Yes, this was the same father whom Marisa left and griped of being irresponsible and reckless. However despite this, the man still deeply cared for his daughter despite all the things she did, going as far as pretending he didn't exist once she found a place with the Evil Spirit Mima. The man regretted his actions by neglecting his daughter as he grieved over his wife's death, causing the equally depressed girl to run away a few weeks later.

"_There's the possibility. Given Marisa's nature, there's the chance of her coming in contact with some unsavoury characters,_" continued Rook, he suddenly felt his sheathed dagger grow heavy. He chose to ignore this and go on, "_That's why if worse comes to worst, I'll have to restrain her in case she does anything to put her surroundings to in harm."_

"_And...Why are you exactly asking for my permission to restrain her?_" questioned Mr. Kirisame.

"_I know how you are. If word reaches your ears that Marisa is in trouble or anything, you wouldn't hesitate taking a few weapons with you and hunt the bastard who did her harm,"_ Rook smiled while responding, "_Now that would only prove your recklessness as your daughter has complained about the many times I've worked with her. Now I wouldn't want to be the poor bastard to suffer your wrath, my friend. I know what you're capable of, and you also know me."_

"_I see..._" The shopkeeper then approached his counter and went behind it, kneeling down as he searched for something within the drawer, "_I understand you, Rook, and it sure is smart of you to tell me first. I wouldn't know what I could've done, but at least I know Marisa's safety is in good hands now."_

He stood up, lifting what looked like a small wooden crate with green liquid swimming within the vials. "_However even if she isn't here, I know my daughter better than anyone. That's why I'm going to make sure you stay alive on your encounter with her."_

Mr. Kirisame took three vials and offered them to Rook, "_Please take care of her."_

"I will," replied Rook in Gensokyan Japanese, taking the vials and stuffing them in his pouch.

"Now is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" asked the shopkeeper while stowing away the crate.

"Apparently, yes. The cause of Marisa's dangerous behaviour," answered the Human, beginning in a new topic, "Would you like to hear about it?"

"Go on, I don't seem to be doing anything else today so tell me the story," said Mr. Kirisame. Rook made a mental note that he was older than this man, however the 'Mr.' Seemed to be hard to erase since the shopkeeper obviously looked older than him.

"Alright. Five years ago if you can recall, the Hakurei Barrier almost collapsed," began Rook.

"Ah, yes. I had to help the village evacuate in the Hieda household since the town hall back then was crushed underneath a sky shard," nodded Mr. Kirisame.

"Marisa was the first one to notify me of the incoming incident, so the both of us set out to solve it," continued the blonde as he recalled that fateful night, "The center of it was the Hakurei Shrine, where we were met between a battle between the Hakurei Shrine Maiden and the Evil Spirit Mima."

At that, the shopkeeper slammed his fist on his counter, "I knew she couldn't be trusted!"

"Wait, please let me finish," requested Rook as the dagger slowly became warm, "Reimu was possessed at that time!"

"Only proves that damned Spirit had something to do with the Barrier's collapse," answered the shopkeeper with an edge in his tone.

"But Mima was trying to save her by holding her off while Marisa went to get my help," countered the blonde, silently cursing himself for his poor choice of words. "Here's what happened. Shortly after leaving Makai, a wayward spirit latched itself unto Reimu without her knowledge. Mima and Marisa noticed the Hakurei Maiden's strange behaviour so the opted to observe her in secret. They continue to do just that until the spirit that possessed Reimu finally snapped and went into a rampage, nearly causing the Barrier's fall. Mima fought her, however the spirit's power was more than we could've ever imagined. Marisa and I went next, only to be defeated the same way."

He paused for a second as he allowed his words to sink in.

"It was losing battle either way since the Spirit held the power of the Hakurei Maiden herself. We knew that we had to work fast lest Gensokyo fell," continued Rook with a heavy sigh, "Mima devised a plan to coerce the Spirit out of Reimu. However the Price of it was to relinquish control of her own form to it, buying as time to we can seal her."

Another gap of silence.

"She sacrificed herself? With the Spirit inside her?" The shopkeeper seemed to be loss for words "Is that even possible for her? She is an 'Evil' Spirit after all."

"Change is constant, Kirisame," replied Rook with a sad smile, "At that time, Reimu and I didn't hear what Marisa had to say since she was knocked out cold. Once she woke up, Mima was gone and she thought I was the one who vanquished her."

"Is... that so?"

"Yes. After that, she broke down. Her friendship with Reimu became strained. Fortunately it was still salvageable, unlike my case where she really wants to rip off my head."

Rook gazed deep into the shopkeeper's eyes and said, "After I meet up with her, I want you to talk to her. She could really use some fatherly support... Heh, sorry but it's not my job."

The shopkeeper looked somewhere on his right and sighed. Apparently, the blonde just gave him a lot of things to think about. Rook glanced outside the window and found that the sun was beginning it slow descent behind Youkai Mountain. Now that he thought of it, he hasn't eaten a bite since he left Reimu's home. The thought of food suddenly made him hungry.

Unfortunately that will have to wait.

"Alright," came Mr. Kirisame's voice. He had his confident smirk back on his face while giving Rook the thumbs up, "I'll do just that. Besides, it's only proper to pay my debts you know? For the thing that you're going to do for me. Thank you, Rook."

"No problem," replied Rook with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I think it's best to get going now. Wouldn't want to walk through the forest after dark."

"Yes," said the shopkeeper as he led the blonde man towards the door, "Just remember not to underestimate my girl. She can be a tough cookie sometimes."

"I'll remember that, but now..." Rook paused as he recalled something else.

"Is something wrong?"

"An old friend wants to talk to you too. He wants forgiveness."

With that the Human set off into the main street, disappearing among the crowds of busy shoppers yet the shopkeeper was framed on his doorway, a look of surprise on his face. A few moments passed and his face turned into an amused smile. He went back in his shop, closing the door behind him.

* * *

_Nicolas Notes: Alright so can I comment on this chapter now? Good._

_So here I managed to tie (as the chapter title says) some loose ends. Here I get the chance to flesh out Rook's persona a bit aside from the warrior we've been seeing these past chapters (sans the chapter before this and a few chapter way back). Seriously guys, even to me, Rook's an enigma. I have no idea what kind of person he'll end up as, and that's coming from me THE AUTHOR. I mean the bastard has unlimited routes to take._

_The story seems to write itself..._

_We get an update on the situation in the Human Village, so far so good. And now I've introduced Marisa's unnamed father! WHO'S STILL UNNAMED :D.I took the liberty on his appearance (please don't hurt me) and his personality as well a bit of backstory (again please don't hurt me). _

_Aside from the general view of him being a negative prick who hurts his daughter (Please don't hurt me, I was just basing on the things I've been seeing around the fandom) I think there's a bigger reason to that so I decided to take advantage of it. Mima still hates him though._

_I love gathering infos, you guys love gathering infos? 'cuz that's all Rook's been doing since the last chapter. I was planning not to add action until the Marisa fight, yet I still did the intro to this chapter with the bat youkai. Blame Infamous 2._

_Finally, references, REFERENCES EVERYWHERE! FIND THEM ALL IF YOU DARE. A couple memes, a work from a funny artist, go ahead, review them if you spot them._

_In my opinion I didn't really feel this chapter. Feels like something's missing. Not exactly my best, but what the heck XD_

_Anyway, please continue Laevateinn. I'll be sure to work on more chapters and excel. Read, Rate, Review, and share your thoughts~ _

_Be sure to tell your friends too if they can stomach this story, heh._

_See ya~_

_YAHOO~_


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